


Let Me Hold Your Hand

by OniZenmaru



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, youkai AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-21
Updated: 2013-09-21
Packaged: 2017-12-27 05:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/974848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OniZenmaru/pseuds/OniZenmaru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuri had lived for a long time in an ever changing and lonely world...So maybe it was okay for him to tag along with the boy who had taken an interest in him. Even deities needed entertainment after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Spirit One: The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Uploading old fics~

Darkness...

It was all he could see as he felt his body fall further and further away...Was this...the true death? Ah, it was probably better that way. Being alive for so long had been so painful, so...lonely. That wasn't to say he hadn't enjoyed himself along the way, but not now, not in this day in age where no one truly believed anymore. What was his purpose if they didn't? He would admit that he still held the desire to live, but said desire had dulled over the years when he found himself listlessly wandering the land looking for _something_.

Light?

He groaned at he completely opened his eyes, the sky above him seemingly laughing at his blunder. It was rather unbecoming of a god to fall out of the tree they were sleeping in, but even gods became careless. He let out another groan as he sat himself up, slender fingers moving up to rake the foliage from his long, dark hair. His 'human' ears perked a bit, while the wolf ears on top of his head burned slightly at the sound of snickering behind him.

Picking up a nearby stone he chucked it at the small group of crows, the lot cawing loudly as they flew away. He really hated birds...especially youkai birds. Getting up he straightened out his dark kimono and brushed down the hairs on his now bushy tail, thanking Amaterasu that only a few lowly birds had seen his tumble. Hopping back up on his perch with ease he returned to his previous activities before falling asleep. The park was one of the few patches of greenery left in the city, and even if he wanted to travel and seek greener pastures elsewhere he could not.

This city was his home...he was bound to it, but at the same time the more it changed the weaker he became. He was a deity that relied on faith and homeland for his existence, so he figured that there were still humans that believed in him but they were so few and far between. This was made painfully clear by his appearance; long gone were his white locks and fur, the red sacred markings he had donned so many years ago on his body had all faded away.

His divine robes had been stripped away, leaving him looking so plain that it was hard to tell that he was a decent of Amaterasu herself. His powers had diminished to the point where he could no long perform the simplest of miracles, though he at least possessed enough to remind anyone who judged him just who they were speaking to. But the truth was sad to admit...he was not the only one going through such humiliation.

Many of his dear friends had disappeared because the human's lacked faith, or had destroyed the land which so many had attached themselves to. It was just...a sign of the times. Signing a bit he gazed out to the children playing around him, enjoying their youthful antics as his eyes slowly began to drift close. Or at least they would've had he not spotted something very odd in the distance. Most otherworldly beings knew the difference between a human staring at them and a human staring in their general directions, it was all in the eyes.

At that moment he believed someone had just made eye contact with him.

It startled him at first, because it had been about two hundred years since anyone had really looked at him. Just to make sure he raised his hand, giving the child who had apparently spotted him a small wave. He damn near fainted when his gestured was returned, wondering just what he should do now. After a moment of frantic thinking he decided to just watch the boy, not wanting to startle the him with his excitement.

Of course he didn't let said excitement show on his face. While watching the boy throughout the afternoon he received a few glances from him, the child giving him a small smile before going back to play with his friends. It was reassuring to say the least. There had been instances where he had been visible to someone for only a brief moment, leading to him getting his hopes up prematurely then having them dashed right in front of him. It was an extremely hard thing to deal with...

When the sun was low in the sky, he noticed all the children dispersing while saying their goodbyes to one another...all but one. The boy watched as his last friend left the park, and when they did his attention was again on him. The child approached cautiously, though he didn't look scared in the slightest...just intrigued.

"Um...excuse me..." Because of his good hearing he didn't need to strain to hear the boy mutter, "Are...are you all right?"

"...Pardon?"

"You fell out of the tree earlier...are you okay?"

Oh dear sweet Amaterasu...the child had seen him. Opening his mouth a few times, he tried to think of something to say, anything to lessen the embarrassment he felt. Hopping down, black sandals gently crushing the grass below him, he stood in front of the boy. Most of the human children possessed the same basic look to them, but this was not the case for the child in front of him. His hair was light, far lighter than any of the other children, and he would admit that it was hard to not notice the boy when he was running around with his friends.

Upon further inspection he found that his eyes were different as well, the two of them a shade of blue he though only the sea could hold. He wasn't actually sure if the boy was Japanese at all, since he was fairly sure that blonde hair and blue eye usually equaled a foreigner. Not that it mattered...but he did look horribly out of place

"...You shouldn't, uh...be worried about a stranger, child..."

"But are you okay?"

"...I'm fine."

His answer seemed to bring a smile to the boy's face.

"That's great! Oh, um, my name is Flynn, what's yours?" The boy probably wasn't aware of how much power his words held. Deities and youkai did not give out their real names to humans easily, because if a human possessed such knowledge they could control them.

So he kept his mouth shut, obviously confusing the small child. When asked if he actually had a name he merely looked away, just wanting the subject to be dropped. Why hadn't he left yet? Even if this was the first time in a long time that he had spoken to an actual human, he...he...There was no point in lying to himself...he wanted to speak to the child because he had acknowledged his existence.

"If you don't have a name...can I give you one?" He immediately snapped his head back in the direction of the small boy named Flynn, eyes wide in shock. Give him...a name?

"Why are you being so kind...? For all you know I could be an youkai that eats children, or I could spirit you away so that you never see your loved ones away." Even if neither of those things were truth, he wanted to see what the boy would do. There was something so off about him.

"You're not bad like the other things I see, I can tell."

That was it. Flynn had been in contact with other spiritual beings, which would explain his lack of surprise when spotting him. What was more astonishing was that fact that the boy could see him while his divinity was so low; in this day and age if anyone were to see him he would probably look very faint, but it would seem the child could see him as clear as day. Just how strong was this boy's senses? If anything it was strong enough to allow him to touch him, as evident by the small blonde stroking his tail.

"O-Oi! I might be 'nice' as you say, but that does not permit you to touch me as you please, ya brat!" Quickly he snatched his tail away from the boy, telling him that it wasn't some toy he could play with as he pleased.

"I-I'm sorry..." Ugh...if there was one thing that apparently hadn't changed over the years, it was lack of understanding when it came to human children. He didn't want his actions to cause Flynn to leave, so he threw his pride aside, like he had in the past when it came to children.

"Don't, um, cry or anything..." Crouching down he gently ran his fingers through golden locks, "I'm s-sorry..."

His apology managed to bring a small smile to the boy's face, though when he noticed that his hand was lingering a for a bit too long on Flynn's head he instantly pulled back. He was...so warm. Standing up he quickly straightened himself out, coughing a bit to try and regain a little of the composer he had lost. When in the presence of a human he was supposed to act and speak in a formal manner, even if he wasn't the formal type _at all_.

"Can you walk me home?"

"...What?"

He didn't get a response; instead the child merely held his hand out, an obvious invitation for him to mimic the gesture. It wasn't like he was actually doing anything productive at the moment, but this didn't stop him from hesitating a bit. Slowly he took the small boy's hand, once again musing about how warm the other felt. Once he felt it, it sadly reminded how much he had missed it. They left the park together, streetlights slowly come on one by one as they walked.

"Why didn't you just leave with your friends?" He was a bit surprised when Flynn's hand suddenly tightened around his, a curious looks crossing his face as he looked at the small human next to him.

"They're not really my friends...I just play with them sometimes. They think I'm weird because I can see things they can't..." Humans had a bad tendency to do that...especially in this era.

In the past it was never considered 'strange' to see youkai or deities, but now when his kind was regarded as 'fiction' people who could see them were regarded as 'crazy' or 'attention seekers'. It must've been hard for Flynn to deal with...which made him pity the boy quite a bit.

"Some of the things I see are scary and do wanna eat me...but some of them are nice and will talk to me, like you."

"I see...How exactly can you tell if we're bad or not?"

"I get this weird feeling in my chest if they're bad."

He once again had to wonder how strong the boy's spiritual awareness was. The pain he felt was probably the malicious aura that radiated off of certain youkai, which meant he would be somewhat safe if he always relied on such a feeling. But not youkai were the same.

"Still...you should be more careful." He was given a small 'okay' for his warning, though he wasn't entirely where his concern for the human was coming from. No that...that wasn't true.

A silence fell between the two of them, the sound of his wooden sandals the only thing echoing throughout the mostly empty street. He was sure that the only person who could hear the sound was Flynn, though the boy made no signs of complaining about. He actually wasn't sure where the boy could even live, so he merely let the small blonde take him wherever. Not that he minded; it was much more entertaining than sleeping in a tree or hanging around the local shrine.

"Yuri-san, are you going to be at the park tomorrow?" This made him completely stop in his tracks, Flynn staring up at him with curiosity in his eyes.

"...What...did you just call me...?" He wasn't upset, not at all, he was more surprised more than anything.

"Oh, um..." The boy shuffled from one foot to the other, eyes downcast as he spoke, "Mama's favorite flowers are lilies...and you have lilies on your kimono, so..."

He did possess a few white lilies at the bottom of his kimono, but even with knowing that and understanding such reason he couldn't help but stare in disbelief. Never in his many, many years on Earth had a human ever given him a name; most merely referred to him as Kami-sama or Ookami-no-Kami, which only indicated what he was. But this...this was something far more personal.

Had he truly become so desperate for human contact that he was seriously thinking about take the name a mere _child_ had offered to him?

"...All right...you may call me Yuri."

No, this had nothing to do with desperation, but it had everything to do with fulfilling one of his many duties he hadn't in a long time. Bringing happiness to children, even if it was rather low on his priority list as a god, was a duty he took great pleasure in doing. So when the blonde gave him a bright smile he couldn't help but mimic the expression.

"Mama and Papa probably won't be home for a while, so...can you stay, Yuri-san? J-Just until they come back." Well it wasn't like he had anything else to do with his time, the small nod he gave bringing another smile to Flynn's face.

It was sad to think that the boy would be home alone...though he was well aware that parents needed to provide for their child...though the fact that it meant sacrificing time with them seemed unfair. It was a sad truth, but the truth nonetheless. Several minutes passed before the two of them stopped in front of a large apartment complex, and as they made their way up Yuri couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in slight annoyance.

Tokyo had become such a _crapped_ place, everywhere he looked plots of lands were being destroyed so that more buildings could be put up. He didn't hate the humans for wanting to expanding so much, what he hated was their irresponsibility. But if there were more people like Flynn out there, more people willing believe, than maybe not all hope was lost.

Even though he had seen them it was actually his first time encountering an elevator, so his immediate reaction was to back up the moment the doors opened, wolf ears pulled back as he eyed the contraption suspiciously.

"It's okay." The boy tugged him in the direction of the small metal box, his body reluctantly making its way inside even though he felt completely uncomfortable doing so. When the doors began to close he quickly snatched his tail away from them just before they completely shut, vowing that he would never ride such a thing again.

The two of them rode four floors up, Yuri quickly getting off the elevator the moment the doors opened. Sure he himself could've easily gotten to the floor without any kind of hassle, he was a deity after all, but that would've left Flynn by himself. The least he could do was accompany him. It didn't take them all the long to reach the boy's apartment, Yuri watching as he opened the door was the key he had fished out of his pocket.

Once inside he made sure to take off his sandals by the entryway, because even if Flynn was the only one who could see them he still had enough common decency to remove them like any other. The only thing he could do in such an unfamiliar situation was follow Flynn around, and in doing so he felt more like a lost puppy than a wolf god. The place was very well kept, though it also appeared that only one person lived there as opposed to three. Or...he believed there were only three.

Looking around he found a few family photos, and was rather shocked when he laid eyes on the boy's parents.

"You're...half Japanese?"

"Yeah, most people can't tell since I look like Papa."

And did he. He was the spitting image of his father, not a single trace of his mother to be found in his appearance. Yuri figured that if he looked like his father, there was a chance that he acted like this mother. It usually worked that way, though he couldn't confirm it himself until he met them. Not that he actually could. He continued to follow the small blonde until they stopped in front of what he assumed was a refrigerator, the cold chill he received from it being opened validating his suspicions.

He kept watching as Flynn removed two square shaped plastic containers, his wolf wears perking up a bit in curiosity.

"What are those?" He couldn't help but poking the clear top a bit, "Bento?"

"Yup, from the convenient store nearby." He had heard of those places, though he was completely unaware people bought bento from them. Flynn placed the two boxes on either side of the dinning room table, motioning him over once done.

"...You want me to eat with you...?" When he was given a rather enthusiastic nod by the blonde he tired his best to hold his tongue. He actually didn't need food to survive, eating to be more of a pastime then an actual source of nourishment.

The reason he wanted to refuse the boy's invitation was because it felt as if he being an inconvenience; the last thing he wanted to do was consume the food the boy could easily be eating himself, so if he didn't really need to he shouldn't have. But he looked so damn... _happy_. So he decided that instead of being a horrible guest he'd suck it up and eat, seating himself across from the human child as he eyed the bento curiously.

There seemed to be quite a bit of food inside, ranging from meat to pickled vegetables, along with a pair of wooden chopsticks. Mimicking Flynn's movements he removed the plastic top of the bento, the two of them saying a small 'itadakimasu' before picking up their chopsticks. Yuri couldn't help but pick at the food, still feeling guilty for eating something he had no business consuming.

"Are you not hungry?"

"A-Ah...it's not that, it's just-"

"It's okay to eat, Papa always buys me two but one is enough, really."

That didn't completely convince him, but...With a small sigh he picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, slipping it between his lips where he was met with a rather pleasant surprise. His tail puffed up as he tasted the sweet meat that had entered his mouth, finding it to be far more delicious than he could have imagined. From that point on he was rather ashamed to admit that he greatly enjoyed stuffing his face with everything inside the bento.

"Gochisosama deshita..." The only thing he could mutter was the usual after meal saying as he held his head in embarrassment, making no move to look at Flynn as he began cleaning up.

"Let's take a bath together."

"...Why?"

"I usually take a bath with Mama or Papa, but they're not here..."

For someone so young, he was pretty well versed in how to guilt trip someone...He was sure it was only because Flynn was lonely, and who could blame him when it would seem that he was home alone on a regular basis. It was sad...but the whole bathing thing seemed like it was overstepping some kind of boundary. Before he could even say anything he felt the sleeve of his kimono being tugged on, trying his best to not fall for the kicked puppy look Flynn was giving him.

"...Please?"

Amaterasu damn his soft spot for children. Reluctantly he followed him down the hall, trying to convince himself that he didn't have anything better to do with his time...so why not? Once in the bathroom he hesitantly began to remove his clothes, which consisted of him just willing them off, rods evaporating off his body in a rather showy fashion. It wasn't until he was putting his hair up in a ponytail that he noticed Flynn staring at him.

"Is something wrong?" The boy looked quite confused, and he had to wonder if it was because of the little trick he had pulled with his clothes.

"You're...a boy?"

Yuri couldn't help but stand there for a moment as he gave a the blonde an odd look.

"I...you...you seriously thought I was a woman? What the hell you brat! I've always clearly been male!"

"Well...you're really pretty!"

With a small groan he rubbed his temples, wondering if he should take the other's comment as a compliment or an insult. He had already called him a brat so that probably counted as enough punishment, but that didn't mean he was okay with being called a woman. He was just a kid, and really...it would've have been the first time he'd be mistaken for the opposite gender. Crouching down he ran his fingers through Flynn's hair as he told him that he wasn't mad, though this admission didn't stop him from pinching the boy's nose.

"O-Ow!" As he let go he didn't say anything as he gave the boy a small smirk, "So mean..."

The bath was as normal as any kind of bath could be...well, as normal as a kid bathing with a god could be. He helped Flynn wash his hair while making sure he didn't get soap in his eyes, which was much easier said than done since he kept squirming. The small child never stop pestering him about wanting to wash his tail, which Yuri was damn sure was just an excuse to touch it again. He could do that himself. He did at least let him wash his back, though he could easily tell he was trying to touch his wolf ears.

When they had finished lathering up and rinsing off it was time to soak, and of course instead of staying still Flynn began to squirt water between his hands. It had been a while since he had actually soaked in a bath, so he decided to take his time, or at least until Flynn's fingers began to look like dried plums. After about fifteen minutes he asked to see the boy's fingers, and when he did he figured it was about time to get out.

"All right, hold your breath and stay under for ten seconds...you do know how to count to ten, right?" He wouldn't deny taking some pleasure in the way the boy puffed his cheeks out at him, clearly annoyed by his comment.

"Of course I can, I'm already six!" Yuri laughed a bit as the boy stuck his tongue out at him, though he still did what he was told. But only six years old? He was far younger than he had originally thought...then again every human was 'young' in comparison to himself.

Once Flynn was done counting they got out of the tub, Yuri helping him dry off before he changed. It wasn't too long after their bath did the blonde began to show signs that he was tired, rubbing his eyes and yawning as his head nodded a bit. He held his hand as the small boy walked to his room, helping him into his bed where he wrapped himself up in his dark blue blanket.

He would've liked to at least had the option to sit on the floor, but because the child hadn't let go of his hand it was clear what his only choice was. Sighing he slipped into Flynn's bed, the blonde wasting no time curling up against his chest like some kind of kitten. He clung to his kimono tightly, Yuri deciding to not move an inch until he was fully asleep. How did things end up like this...? He could understand duty and entertainment being the driving forces for his being there, but had he really needed to go so far?

Maybe...loneliness had a way of attracting loneliness. Closing his eyes he decided it was probably best to just go with the flow, because this was the most needed he had felt in a long time.


	2. Spirit Two: Duty

It was so unbearably how in the summer, so much so that he really wished he wasn't able to feel things like temperature. But at least this summer Yuri would be doing something other than loaf around waiting for the season to change. It had been an entire two weeks since he had decided to stay with Flynn, and he had learned a few things about him during that time. The boy had been able to see youkai and deities for all his six years of life, and it wasn't until about a few months ago that he stopped telling people he could.

If they didn't believe him, why continue to speak about it?

The only downside to doing so was that the poor child would have to bear the burden all by himself, which he felt wasn't fair at all to someone so young. The least he could do for the boy was listen to his troubles, which sometimes caused the fur on his tail to ruffle in aggravation. Yuri hated that he couldn't help the boy in the slightest, couldn't prove that they had all been so wrong about the things Flynn saw. He just didn't have enough divinity to do so.

Though not all hope was lost; he had at least gotten enough divinity back from the boy's acknowledgement of his existence to turn himself into a small wolf pup, which made accompanying Flynn a bit easier on him. The small blonde would get strange looks from passerby's when they talked, so if he was at least in a visible form they wouldn't think he was talking to thin air. It also made getting into Flynn's apartment when his parents were home a lot easier, since his mother thought he was adorable (he apparently looked like a dog to her) and his father didn't get any say in the matter whatsoever.

Yuri did find it a bit strange that neither parent questioned why their 'dog' disappeared randomly sometimes...but that was one less thing to deal with.

Of course that's _when_ they were home. His observation had unfortunately been proven right, and the boy really did spend a great deal of his time at home alone. The only time he had contact with them was in the morning for breakfast, late at night if he decided to spend the night up waiting for him and on Sunday when they usually had the day off. It was a hard thing to watch, especially since it always looked as if Flynn wanted to say something but could not for the live of him find the courage to do so.

To make matters worse it was the summer break for him, meaning that he was left alone to his own devices of hours at a time. He usually spent time at the park with his 'friends', though when the heat became too unbearable the boy stayed in the apartment a floor down. It belonged to a nice elderly couple who always treated the boy like their own grandson, their kindness extending to Yuri as well which usually resulted in a delicious orange or two being given to him.

But at least things seemed to be looking up for Flynn. For two weeks he would be visiting his grandmother in Osaka, which meant he'd actually get to spend time with his parents. He'd be going with his mother, his father unfortunately having to work, though he would meet them there during the second week. Flynn seemed so ecstatic about the whole thing, well...that was until...

"I can't go."

The smile on the boy's face slowly began to fall, and Yuri would admit that he had never seen such a disappointed look cross a child's face in his entire life.

"Wh-What...? Why not?" He dropped the pair of pants he was going to place inside of his suitcase, Yuri having to turn away since he could no longer bear to look at his sad expression.

"I can't leave this city...I'm bound to it." Peeking over he saw the boy drop his head, muttering a small 'oh' as he shifted from one foot to the other. He hadn't wanted to make him feel so terrible...but if he couldn't go it was better to fess up.

Yuri watched as the dejected youth silently went back to packing his suitcase, wanting to apologize but knowing that it wouldn't change a thing. It especially weighed heavy on his heart because he had actually promised Flynn that he wouldn't leave him, even if he was sure the boy was half-cocked when they had made such a promise in the middle of the night a few days ago. But it didn't change the fact that he was about to break said promise. For a god to not keep their promise would be beyond disgraceful.

When it seemed had finished packing Flynn suddenly froze, a look of deep thought crossing his face. Tilting his head to the side Yuri asked what was wrong, but before all the words could leave his mouth the youth darted out of the room. The only thing he could do was sit there in confusion, wondering if he should pursue him or just let him do whatever. Fifteen minutes later the boy came running back into the room, his interest in just what Flynn had done perking.

After a few pants he held up a plastic bag filled with freshly collected dirt, a bright smile on his face as he held it towards him.

"...Flynn... _why_ do you have a bag of dirt...?"

"You said you're bound to the city, right? So I thought...why not bring a little of the city with you?"

That was a very interesting idea...one he was ashamed to admit that he had never thought of before. To be outdone by a six-yea-old hurt his pride a bit...but he'd overlook it since it was Flynn. The problem was that he wasn't actually sure if it would work, but because he at least wanted to give it a shot for the boy's sake. With a sigh he waved his had, a necklace with a small pouch attached to it appearing before him. It was one of the many accessories and article of clothing he kept in...it was probably best to just call it 'storage'.

Opening the pouch he filled it with the dirt the now enthusiastic child had brought him, slipping it around his neck once full. He eyed the pouch anxiously; if it did actually work it meant it would be the first time he had actually left the city, and that was nerve-racking in itself. Everything beyond the city was...new, possibly exciting, but it was unknown territory to him. And that's where another problem lied; youkai and deities were usually very territorial over the land they had made their home.

His just being there could easily lead to conflict with the natives spirits, and the last thing he wanted to do was drag Flynn into something dangerous. But he was at least aware that not all spiritual beings were the same, so he greatly hoped that nothing terrible happened because he once again decided to follow the boy who clung to him so. He really didn't mind it, especially since it made the boy happy...but he had to wonder how such contact would affect his interactions with normal humans down the line.

But he'd deal with that issue when it arose...which he hoped it never did.

"Flynn-chan! Go wash your hands, we're about to leave! Now where did that dog go...?" Flynn's mother muttered the last part as she passed by the room, Yuri quickly changing into a small wolf as he followed the boy out of his room. Before hauling his suitcase towards the front door he did what his mother told him, Yuri watching as he washed off every bit of dirt from his hands.

Following the two of them out of the apartment, his worry once again flaring up the moment they walked into the parking lot. When they reached the car he couldn't help but back away slightly, not at all liking the idea of riding in such a fast and noisy contraption. Yuri didn't mind the technology the humans had made over the years; he didn't, however, like the idea interacting with any of it.

"Come on, it's not gonna eat you." At this point he was fairly used to being picked up by Flynn, though that didn't mean he was calm about it. He struggled a bit when he was placed inside the car, and as much as he wanted to say something he was sure that wouldn't be the ideal situation for anyone.

Once inside the car he waited for Flynn to get in, wasting no time plopping down in his lap where he hoped the boy had the right sense of mind to hold him. The last thing Yuri wanted was the motion of the last tin can to fling him around. But the biggest thing he had to worry about was the tunnel at the city's perimeter; it wasn't all that long, but if he reached the other side it would mark the first time he had been outside of the city. If all went well nothing should have happened, but if not...

Said tunnel had been there for a good while, and because of this he had tried to amuse himself and see if he could get to the other side. No matter how many time he walked or ran through it he always ended up right back where he started. That was precisely what he was afraid of happening. If he disappeared while on Flynn's lap there would be quite the panic, not only from the small boy. Hope was something he had given up on a long time ago, but even tired habits could make a come back.

He sat on the boy's lap in a tense state, wondering just how long it would take for them to reach destination that would pretty much seal his fate (of traveling with Flynn). His disposition didn't change even when he noticed familiar scene outside of the window, and if anything it only made him panic more. When they actually entered the tunnel Yuri's world went black...and it wasn't until he opened his eyes did he realize that he had closed them.

"What's wrong, Yuri-san?" Looking up he found Flynn staring at him with concerned eyes, though to reassure him that everything was all right he placed his paw on his cheek.

Yes...things were going to just fine now.

Because it was the first time outside of the city, he couldn't help but eagerly stare out the window. As the scenery zipped by he had to wonder what Osaka was like; he had heard about it from youkai that were visiting from there, and the only thing he could deduct was that they spoke a different dialect. There had to be more to it than just that...After about two hours he had grown rather tired, the rocking motion of the vehicle strangely soothing yet terrifying at the same time.

Since the small boy was already asleep he figured he'd join him, knowing full well that because Osaka was in a different region it would take a few more hours to reach it. He merely curled up on his lap, drifting off in a matter of minutes. He always dreamed about the same thing he always did; lush, green fields being tended to by people who had long since passed, their children playing with one another without a care in the world. It was beautiful...and at the same time so very sad.

Slowly he opened his eyes, wishing his mind would fill itself with something other than the past he could no get back. He saw he was no longer on Flynn's lap, the boy having stretched out against the seats as he hugged him against his chest. Yuri stayed there for a while until something form the window caught his attention, and as he wiggled out of the child's limp hold he was greeted by a rather pleasant surprise. Green, everywhere he looked, from the fields of flourishing vegetation to the large trees in the distance.

As much as he wanted to leave the car and explore the land that was completely new territory to him, he knew such an action would only end with Flynn panicking when he woke up and his mother confused about how the family dog suddenly disappeared. So he decided to be patient. It didn't take long for the car to pull up to an old, somewhat large, house, the style something he hadn't seen in a long time. Gently he nudged Flynn with his paw, trying to get him up from his deep sleep.

"Yuri-san...?" The youth groggily addressed him as he slowly opened his eyes, and just to make sure he was actually up he gave him a solid whack to his forehead for good measure. Flynn gave off an 'ow!' as he sat up, his mother asking him what was wrong as he did so.

The boy merely shook his head as he glanced over at him, Yuri trying his best to hide his smirk. When the three of them got out of the car, he ran off, wanting to change back into his normal form out of sight of the child's mother. After coming back he followed behind the two human's carrying their luggage, and once inside the very nice house he made sure to remove his sandals like usual.

"Oh good, I was worried when you two started running late."

"Grandma!"

Flynn wasted no time running into the arms of the older woman, the boy telling her how happy he was to see her as he held her tight. It was a nice sight, but he did become tense when he noticed the woman looking in his direction. Correction: looking _at_ him. Yuri wasn't sure what he was suppose to do, though when she merely smiled and gave him a small nod he felt himself relax a bit. Even if he was a god, thus putting him on a higher pedestal than humans, he at least knew that there were certain things that transcended statue.

Such as manners.

"Thank you very much for allowing me into your home, I will be looking after your brat of a grandson for the time being." He bowed as he spoke, though he didn't miss the way the older woman laughed a bit or the sight of Flynn puffing his cheeks out at him.

His grandmother and mother began conversing as he followed the boy down the hall, noticing him mutter 'I'm not a brat' under his breath as he walked. Yuri didn't hold back his snicker this time. They stopped at the end of the hall, the small boy sliding the door open to reveal a rather nice looking room. It was spacious, maybe a little too spacious for a six-year-old, and much like the rest of the house it reminded him of something he hadn't seen in a long time.

In the center of the room was a zataku, and on top of it was a plate that looked to be holding a few pieces of mochi.

"Mochi!" He watched as Flynn quickly discarded his suitcase in favor of running over to the table, Yuri greatly amused at the way he began stuffing his face.

"It's not a good idea to get full before dinner." Even if it was true he was pretty much using it as an excuse to snatch a few pieces of mochi from the plate. It didn't go well.

"No...you're gonna eat them all." The moment he tried to go for one the boy moved the plate, a look of annoyance crossing his face.

"Oi...not offering me any isn't very nice...And I won't eat them all!"

"None for you!"

"You damn brat..."

He went for the mochi a few more time, but of his attempts ended the same way. Growling a bit he completely lunged at Flynn, but the action just landed him with his face against the ground. Maybe the mochi wasn't worth such humiliation...but he would not allow the boy to show him up again. His resolve led him to pretty much chasing Flynn around the room, the small child all the while giggling as he dashed around with the plate above his head.

After a while he managed to snatch a single mochi away from the youth, Flynn displaying his usual expression when he was displeased with something. Placing his reward in his mouth, Yuri crouched down, pinching both of the boy cheeks to make him stop.

"That's not cute at all." He said after taking a bite of his mochi, and before the boy could say anything he shoved the rest of it in his mouth.

"Stupid Yuri-san..." The boy muttered to himself in-between chews, Yuri decided to let him off the hook with just a cheek pinch. After finishing his mochi Flynn slid open the back door to the room, revealing a veranda that one could sit down on and enjoy the gorgeous view of the backyard.

Yuri couldn't help but marvel at it, which earned him an odd look from the boy. Sitting near the edge of the veranda he told Flynn that because he had been bound to the city, such sights had been extremely hard to come by as years went on.

"Oh..." It was all the boy muttered and he fidgeted slightly, the seconds ticking away before he decided to join him.

"I'm very happy you brought me here."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

This brought a bright smile to Flynn's face, and like usual he latched onto his waist. He never attempted to pry the youth off, mainly because he figured it would be a challenge to get him off without hurting him and...well...It was a nice reminded that what he had experienced with the boy hadn't been just a sweet dream. Before he could say anymore he caught sight of something darting out of a nearby bush, his head snapping in the at what had just emerged.

In front of them stood a white fox, teeth bared, fur standing on ends and looking as if it would pounce at any moment. Yuri honestly couldn't help but hesitate; the most obvious course of actions would be to defend the boy and make sure nothing happened to him, but such ill intent wasn't directed at Flynn. It was all for _him_. There was an air of divinity surrounding the fox, and because of this things could easily led to a very bad confrontation if he didn't try to reason with it. Though every time he moved it growl at him.

"W-Wait! Estelle, it's okay! I brought him here!" It probably shouldn't have surprised him that the boy knew the animal in front of them, and he was rather grateful that his words seemed to calm it down. It backed off a bit, looking as if it was trying to reassess the situation.

It only took a few seconds for the fox to change into a small girl, taller than Flynn but still shorter than himself. She wore a white kimono, the sleeves, obi and bottom half of it displaying various types of colorful daisies that probably grew around the area. On the left said of her short, light pink hair was a small pinwheel hair ornament, and he would admit that he was rather curious to know if it actually spun in the wind. Much like him she possessed the ears and tail of the animal she was, the fur of such features as white as snow.

The now named Estelle looked as if she were on the verge of tears, Yuri taken aback the moment she bowed deeply.

"I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know you were a friend of Flynn-chan's! I-I was just worried when I saw him with spiritual being not from around here, I-I'm so sorry! P-Please forgive me!"

There really wasn't any reason for her to apologize so much, especially since she had every right to behave in such a way. Scratching the back of his head he told the poor girl that she was forgiven, adding that such formalities weren't necessary since he felt it was 'a pain in the ass'.

"B-But-"

"Just introduce yourself and all will be forgiven."

After a few seconds she finally decided to look up at him, doubt present in her eyes as she straightened herself out.

"T-The name given to me is Estellise Sidos Heurassein, I-I am one of the many servants of Inari-sama in this village." Yuri eyed the boy next to him suspiciously, "A-Ah, he didn't name me! His grandmother did, a-and I think it's a very pretty name!"

"Me and Grandma just call her Estelle."

"I see..."

After introductions were over, Estelle damn near fainting when he mentioned he was a descendent of Amaterasu, she stayed and speak with the two of them for a bit. According to her she along with her siblings were responsible for making the small village agriculturally prosperous, and in turn the villagers would worship Inari which would keep the servant foxes around. He had to admit...there was a slightly tinge of jealousy as he listened to Estelle speak, but as she continued he found that such a feeling was misplaced...

"It's great that Inari-sama gets so much praise, but..." The poor girl squirmed as she bit her lip slightly, "The villagers have long since lost the ability to see us. D-Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful to Inari-sama for allowing us to exist! I-I...just want to talk to the villagers like I use to..."

So even spiritual beings away from the city were experiencing such things...Because the praise the villagers gave was all for Inari, Estelle and her siblings were pretty much reduced to workers whose only purpose was to do their job but get none of the glory. It would explain why the divinity around her just didn't seem right; it wasn't actually hers, in fact he was sure she had just enough to help the village.

If Yuri was in such a situation he'd become bitter and resentful to his creator, but it would seem the only thing Estelle wanted was to interact with the people whose land she had looked after. Reaching over he rubbed the top of the girl's head, telling her that she had to have a very big heart to only want so little. Most would probably want control over the village after so long, since they were the ones really taking care of it, but Estelle wasn't like that.

"Yuri-san..." He watched as Flynn removed his hand from atop of the girl's head, only to move it to his own.

"You know, you say you hate me calling you a brat, but then you go and do such brat-ish things." Quickly he ruffled the boy's hair, and before any complaints came his way he pulled the boy close and began to tickle his sides. Flynn doubled over in laughter, and by the time he was lying flat on his back there were tears in his eyes.

"Y-Yuri-san, I give up! I-I give up!" It was only then did he finally stop, the boy panting into the air for a minutes before he sat himself up. Upon standing Flynn patted Estelle on the head, the servant smiling a bit as she pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Flynn-chan." He giggled as he was being held, though the boy didn't stay there long. Wiggling out of Estelle's hold he plopped himself down on the wolf god's lap, Yuri calling him a brat one more time before threading his fingers through blonde locks.

"He really likes you, Yuri-san."

"I guess so, but I think he really just wants something fluffy around him all the time." When Flynn looked up at him he immediately pinched his cheeks, though he hadn't expected the boy to reach up and do the same to him.

It was some time later when Flynn was called off for dinner, leaving both him and Estelle to talk among themselves. He found out that the girl was the youngest out of her siblings, though in comparison he was sure he outdid most if not all of them in the age department. When the young fox began to speak about Flynn's grandmother he wasn't surprised in the slightest when Estelle's look turned soft.

Apparently in her youth the older woman had a firecracker personality, though it would seem this was mostly directed as her human peers. Other children (mostly boys) were usually on the receiving end of her fists, and Estelle admitted that even if watching such things made her wince she felt they deserved that much. Yuri understood...His time with Flynn had showed him just how nasty children could be, though the boy always seemed to smile through it like such harassment was nothing at all.

It was unnerving as Hell...

Estelle continued on to say that the woman acted the exact opposite to the spirits in the area; she was always kind and usually went out of her way to spend time with them. He was rather surprised to hear that she had even named all the foxes in the village, Estelle smiling sweetly as she spoke about the next part.

"I was being careless in the forest one day while chasing a bunch of crows away from the fields, and because I was in my physical form I ended up getting my leg caught in an animal trap. She helped me out of it and the only thing she asked for in return was that I visit every so often." With a flick of her hand a book suddenly appeared in front of her, the girl holding it close to her chest.

"She named me after the princess in this book, it made me so happy since I never had a proper name. Even if it's long and maybe a little silly, I still love it so much."

She made it sound so nice...In the past Yuri had never really bothered to befriend any human for too long, finding their fleeting lifespan to be the main reason for it. But for the time being he would stay with Flynn, because the boy was so stuck on him that leaving really wasn't an option. The youth was interesting to say the least, though he had to wonder if Flynn's interest in him was nothing more than a passing phase.

"Take care of Flynn-chan, make sure he doesn't come to hate other humans...O-Oh, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't be telling a god what to do!"

"Ugh, enough with the hierarchy crap, you're nice enough that I don't care about that kind of stuff."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Positive."

She still looked rather nervous, which caused him to sigh heavily. It had always been like this; because deities were at the top of the food chain it was rather hard to truly befriend other spirits. But Yuri felt that in that moment he wasn't really all that godly, especially with his divinity being so low. He was at least lucky enough that it seemed to be rising, albeit slowly, thanks to Flynn's interactions with him. But that didn't change the fact that he was far from his former glory.

Reaching over he pinched the girl's nose, the action causing her to flail about. He told her point-blank that if he repeated the same thing again he'd get angry, and it was never wise to get a god angry. Even if it was pretty much a threat he really had no other choice, the girl quickly nodding as a response. When Flynn finally came back he came bearing gifts, or rather three bowls of kuzumochi on a tray as well as three cups of some kind of liquid. Cold mochi for such a hot day...perfect.

Estelle's eyes instantly lit up when the boy told her that his grandmother had included a few pieces of inarizushi for her on the side. It was nice to know that even foxes in different prefectures loved the stuff, though personally he wasn't all that fond of the fried tofu filled with rice. Sitting at the zataku the three of them said a small 'itadakimasu' before digging in. The sweetness of the mochi made his tail puff up, because Amaterasu be damned if he didn't love sweet things.

"Yuri-san's tail is bushy." Before he could even really get what the boy had said, he tensed.

"O-Oi!" He still wasn't use to Flynn suddenly grabbing his tail, let alone stroking it against the grain.

"Flynn-chan, brush it gently in the other direction."

"Huh? Oh, okay."

Yuri was rather relieved that she said something, because he was only seconds away from pinching the boy's hand. In the cups he found that two of them were filled with green tea, while the last seemed to be filled with juice. It was clear who the lone cup of juice belonged to. When the evening sun had finally set they said their goodbyes to Estelle...well, really it was just him saying the goodbyes since Flynn had fallen asleep on his tail.

"Oi, at least tell me where the futon is..." He shook the boy a little, but the only thing he received in return was a small shift, "Honestly..."

Gently removing his tail from underneath Flynn, he went looking for where the futon might be. Upon finding fluffy mound he wasted no time preparing it; laying the cotton filled mattress against the tatami flooring, he placed the thin summer blanket on top of it as well as the pillow. Going over he lifted the small boy up, Flynn groggily complaining about being moved.

"A futon is much more comfortable than the floor, brat."

"Mhm..."

He probably should've known better to think that maybe the boy wouldn't cling to him, but the moment he lied him against the futon, a small hand darting out to grab his kimono, he knew how foolish his thinking had been. Instead of trying to get away Yuri submitted and made himself comfortable next to Flynn's small body.

"Yuri-san is warm..."

This brought a small smile to his face.

"Of course I am."


	3. Spirit Three: Want and Need

"I-I...I like you, Yuri-san..."

"Hm? Oh, I like you too."

When the boy let out a loud groan, fingers ruffling his hair, Yuri couldn't help but be confused. Then again things had become rather strange the moment Flynn hit his teens. Eight years might've seemed like a lot of time, but for deities it wasn't anything worth fretting over. After living hundreds, sometimes thousands of years, a mere eight wasn't all that much. However, for humans things could change a great deal over the course of eight years.

Flynn had grown significantly, no longer looking like the small boy he had met in the park. He seemed a bit more mature; he had stopped pouting at everything that displeased him, though that stubborn streak of his unfortunately still remained. Yuri had heard of the phenomenon known as 'teenage hormones', but to see it up close was both hilarious and frightening at the same time. Sometimes his mood would change at the drop of it hat, it usually occurring whenever he became 'too close' as the boy put it.

It was a strange thing to freak out over...particularly given how clingy he was as a child. He figured it went along with the rest of his 'teenager-ness', though the only thing he really teased him about was the constant reddening of his cheeks. One habit Yuri hadn't dropped over the years was pinching Flynn's cheeks, so whenever he saw the boy getting flustered over something he couldn't help himself.

The more frightening aspect about the boy's growth was his mentality towards his fellow humans, because he had been heading in a direction that would lead him to a life of isolation. Flynn had always smiled, had always pretended to be fine with everything that happened around him, good and bad. Yuri wondered if people knew the difference, or if he himself was the only one who noticed the difference between when the boy smiled because it was what others wanted and because he was truly happy.

Knowing the reason behind the falseness was a terrible thing, but to be on the receiving end of it was worse. Flynn had smiled at him when he uttered the words 'I hate humans' at the age of thirteen, and looking back on it slapping him had been for the best. He hadn't actually meant to, but because he was overcome by anger and disappointment in himself he felt it was the only thing he could've done. Yuri should've been more vigilant, should've comforted the boy more, should've...should've done _something_ more to prevent him from feeling so alone.

Vulnerability was something no deity liked to show, especially in front of humans...but for Flynn, for the semi-normal life he should've been living, he broke down. Latching onto the boy, he begged, _pleaded_ , with him to rethink things; because after so many years of living Yuri had learned that even if the world was cruel it wasn't worth giving up on. He repeated the same thing over and over again like it was a sacred mantra, and maybe a miracle would occur since he himself could not make one.

But it was no miracle that caused the boy to change his tune. Yuri had never once thought that Flynn had put him on such a high pedestal; so when the boy started bawling in his chest, saying that he was sorry for 'making Yuri-san sad' he was completely taken by surprise. From then on Flynn stopped saying that he hated humans and even seemed to make an effort to befriend the children that had shown him kindness, even if they were few of them. Still, it was a nice sight.

"Ugh, Yuri-san you're really killing me..."

"What are you getting all frustrated about? Isn't that my usual response when you say that?" He really didn't see what the problem was...The boy had said those words countless times throughout the years they had known one another, so why should this time be any different?

"That's when I was a kid-"

"You're still a kid."

"That's not the point!"

With another groan, the boy pressed his forehead against his desk, Yuri watching him curiously. He had become so strange...With a small sigh he went back to his reading material, his body stretched along the boy's bed as he propped the side of face up with his hand. Yuri usually did this whenever Flynn needed silence for homework or study, because if there was one thing the youth took very seriously it was his schooling. He had even joined the student council along with the kendo team, and by his third year had become the both the president and the captain of each.

With boy being so busy it meant he spent less time with him, but there was no use complaining about it since it was what Yuri had wanted. Flynn had friends, Flynn had a social life and Flynn was living the life Yuri had wanted him to...so the jealousy he felt for the humans responsible for all of it seemed rather petty. He would at least admit that he had become a bit spoiled thanks to Flynn's constant clinging when younger, so to not have him around was...

Every time he thought about it he hesitated to name the feeling...

He was rather embarrassed to find that he had been staring blankly at his book, the rhythmic 'tap, tap, tap' at the window drawing him out of his trance. And he really wished he had just ignored it. Yuri hated 90% of birds, the ten he respected usually gods of a higher rank than him; but the bird at the window was no god, only a nuisance.

He wore his usual purple jinbei, the shirt and knee length pants a much lighter color than the deep violet of the jacket he had on. The black ends of the jacket hung well over his fingers, Yuri always wondering why he wore something that was clearly too big for him. Then again, he wondered quite a few things about the stupid crow outside the window. His shaggy hair was done up in a lazy looking ponytail, the stubble on his face a clear indicator that he really didn't put much thought into his appearance.

A tan finger tapped against the glass once more, Yuri wanting to outright ignore him but their eyes met; green orbs seemingly pleading for him to grant him access, so there really wasn't any point in trying to ignore him. Unlike Yuri and Estelle, the bird didn't keep any animal features outside of the black wings on his back, though of course because he was a tengu he did have the usual accessories. The tiny hat on top of his head along with his pom-pommed sash and red, phallic mask he had moved to the side of his head, were all there...though for the wolf god his authenticity made no difference...

He was still annoying as Hell.

"Yuri-san, I know you don't get along with him that well, but please let him in. I can't study with him tapping on the window." He does what he is told while groaning, not because he is given a direct order to but because he didn't want Flynn failing something because he had decided to be stubborn.

"What do you want, stupid crow?"

"Aw, come on Yuri-sama, don't be so mean! I even came with gifts." Much to his annoyance the damn bird let himself in without so much of a 'sorry for my intrusion', wings no longer visible, "Also, Estelle says hello."

Because he was a tengu he could travel great distances in a short amount of time, though the lazy bastard admitted to hitchhiking atop of trains whenever he didn't feel like flying. The boy had named the bird Raven, because at the time Flynn hadn't known the difference between a raven and a crow. Flynn had met Raven in middle school, the boy having helped one of the many birds that the crow governed over.

Yuri didn't like him since he seemed so damn shady, but because the youth hadn't had a negative reaction upon their first meeting he decided to let him hang around, much to his irritation.

"We don't want any gifts from you...And would you mind shutting up? He's trying to study." He motioned over to the boy sitting at his desk, a strangely dejected look on his face as he continued to scribble down his answers. Raven mouthed a 'sorry, sorry' before going quiet, Yuri taking this time to enjoy his book while he still could.

From the corner of his eye he could see the stupid bird wandering around the room, probably trying to busy himself until it was alright to speak. He ignored it for the most part, though when he started touch things he had to bark at him to sit down. Rubbing his temples Yuri found that it was best to compare the youkai to a nosy child. It was an hour before Flynn finished, the boy removing his red-rimmed glasses to pinch the brim of his nose. That was the usual sign that he was done for the evening.

"So what did you bring, Raven-san?" Yuri watch as the boy turned halfway around in his chair to look at the fidgety crow in his room, Raven in turn giving him a bright smile for the attention.

"This!" With a wave of his hands two medium sized glass jars appears before him, Yuri slightly perking up upon seeing its multicolored contents.

"Konpeito?" The boy questioned, Yuri taking note of the sparkle in his eye.

"Yup, Estelle made too much of it so she figured she'd send the extra your way." When offered a jar he hesitated to take it, not because he didn't want it (Estelle's sweets were the best) but because Raven was giving it to him. Flynn on the other hand gladly took his gift.

"Thank you, Raven-san." The youth wasted no time popping a few pieces of the sugar candy into his mouth, Yuri still eying his with caution.

"Heh, Flynn-chan," The stupid bird slung his arm around the boy's shoulder, pulling him in close, "I was flying by your school the other day and saw you talking to a pretty girl behind the building. Does little Flynn-chan have a girlfriend? Or maybe he was confessed to?"

Flynn merely looked at him, features cool and collected for someone who had just been accused of being alone with a girl. Pinching the brim of his nose again Flynn let out a small sigh, Yuri becoming a bit curious about what his answer was going to be.

"That girl was the vice-president of the student council, and yes, she did confess to me...but I turned her down." Raven let him go with a small pout, sighing out a 'that's all?' as he did so. Irritation flaring once more, Yuri picked up the nearest pillow and chucked it at the unwanted guest, hitting in square in the face.

He ignored the bird's squawking so as to focus on the fact that it had been the first time Flynn had ever spoken about any romance in his life, and he was fairly sure he had never even heard the boy speak of a crush before. He was sure it was because the boy had become so busy, but...he had heard that the teenage years of humans was full of love gained and lost. So did that mean Flynn wasn't telling him something? That didn't seem right since the boy was usually so open with him...

"So...why did you turn her down? I mean, you must have a reason, right?"

"...Why...?"

"Yes, why-"

Yuri is quickly cut off by the sound of the youth's chair hitting the ground, Flynn having stood up so quickly that he had forced it to come crashing down. The boy stared at him, the shock on his face slowly turning to that of...was that frustration? That was an odd jump...But he figured it was just another part of the whole 'teenager' thing Flynn was going through. With a small sigh he told the boy he probably should've spent a bit more time developing romantic relationships with the girls around his school, adding that he'd be a pretty good husband if he ever got married.

Flynn stood there with his fist clinched, opening his mouth a few times before mutter a small 'I'm going out for a bit' as he began to head out. Yuri winced a bit as the door slammed shut, his body trying to decide if he should follow him or not. As much as he wanted to seek answers right away, he knew that attempting to talk to Flynn when he was that mad would only end in silence; but in order for him to mend things; he needed to know why he had gotten so angry at his words.

"Damn brat..." He muttered under his breath as he stretched out on the bed, hating that he had to wait until the boy finished cooling off. It usually took a while...

"Yuri-sama, you know-"

Oh right, he was still in the room.

"Matters of the heart shouldn't be taken so lightly." He certainly didn't like the way the stupid bird was looking at him, like he had figured out something about the boy that he hadn't. The mere thought of that made him growl a little.

Raven could in no way know the boy better than he did, not after he had spent so many years with hm. Flynn was a simple person, one who never really did anything to get himself noticed despite the power he had. As for the 'matters of the heart' nonsense Raven was spouting...he'd at least admit that he wasn't aware what was going on in the boy's life when it came to school (he isn't allowed to follow him there) but he knew what was best for him.

"I only spoke the truth...it shouldn't be that complicated for him to date a nice girl-"

"I believe that's the problem...He could easily get a girlfriend but he didn't want a _girl_ friend." Yuri scowled at this, hating the tone the unwelcome guest was giving him.

"Since you seem to know so damn much, what exactly is it that he wants?"

Raven stared at him with a dumbfound look on his face, one that rivaled that of the boy who had angrily left the apartment complex. What had he said that was so damn shocking? Why did they look at him as if he had missed something so obvious? His irritation grew the moment he noticed Raven snickering at him, and before he could even think about he was on the stupid bird, hands grabbing the hem of his jacket to pull him close.

"This is no laughing matter, you damn tengu...If you know the reason for the boy's actions, I suggest you tell me, and quickly since I'm not in the best mood at the moment." Had he been a more vengeful god he probably would've stuck Raven down without so much as a second thought, but because he had a bit more control than that he refrained from doing so.

"O-Okay, okay, no violence please! I-It's just..." He scratched the back of his head before continuing, "I don't think I should be the one to tell you...just ask Flynn-chan what he wants."

After a few more seconds of glaring he released Raven, body plopping back on the bed as he faced away from him. When Raven left not long after he began to think about his words; he had never really heard Flynn talk about what he wanted, the boy always more so concerned about the needs of others than his own. It was admirable, but Yuri really wanted him to be selfish sometimes. Turning over he gazed out of the window, wondering just how long the boy was going to be away.

He became a bit concerned when night fell and Flynn still hadn't returned.

Because he had spent so much time around the boy he could easily pick up his scent, which meant his search would be stress-free. He walked at an unhurried pace since he felt that the boy wasn't in any kind of danger, just that he had merely lost track of time. The cool night air felt nice against his skin, though it was only a matter of time before it completely disappeared. Summer was just around the corner, and that meant unbearable heat that would make him uncomfortable.

When his feet finally stopped he wasn't surprised to see that they had carried him to the park, the very one where he and the boy had met all those years ago. Yuri walked himself over to the small bench where the boy was sitting, his head down as his stared at his knitted fingers. He didn't say a thing as he sat down, knowing full well that the boy had already acknowledged his presence. When he felt fingers brush against his hand Yuri didn't hesitate to take them, holding the boy's hand in a gentle manner as the silence continued.

"...I'm sorry..." Flynn muttered under his breath, "I didn't mean to make you come all the way out here to check on me..."

"It wasn't like the walk was long, so don't apologize." He watched as the boy glanced over at him, guilt still present in his eyes. Yuri didn't like this atmosphere...didn't like that the youth sitting next to him was not only tense but distant.

After confirming that there wasn't anyone else around Yuri grabbed the boy and pulled him close, fingers coming to ruffle his blond locks. He told him to cheer up, because whatever was on his mind wasn't worth getting so depressed about. Flynn obviously struggled against him. He only let the boy go when he cried 'I give up!' three times, Yuri smirking as he watched the youth try and straighten his hair.

"You always do unnecessary things, Yuri-san..."

"But you feel better, right?"

Flynn opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it, a look of realization crossing his face before he smiled. Getting up the boy muttered a small 'thank you' as he outstretched his hand. Yuri truly appreciated these little moments when Flynn would forget about his teenage behavior, liking it when the two of them could just _be_ without the boy freaking out. Taking the hand that is offered to him the two of them began to leave the park, hating that Raven's words were nagging at him from the back of his head.

"Hey, um..." It really didn't feel right for him to ask something so strange, "What do you, you know, want?"

"...Huh?"

"Ugh, I'm sorry, I should explain first...I said the wrong thing back there, about you dating a nice girl, and I apologize for it. So I wanted to ask...what do you want? If not a nice girl, then what?"

His words sounded so silly coming out of his mouth, but it was better to handle whatever the boy was dealing with than drag it on. He expected Flynn to stare at him, had also expected him to flush a bit and his nervous shifting...what caught him completely by surprise was when he was pulled forward. The youth hugged him tightly, fingers digging into the back of his kimono as he buried his face in the crock of his neck.

After getting over the initial shock Yuri held him, all the while wondering just what had gotten into him all of a sudden. When Flynn pulled away slightly the boy told him that he selfishly wanted him to stay by his side forever, the statement bringing a small smile to his face. It was nice to be reminded the Flynn actually did want him around, because there had been times when he believed the boy's interest in him was just a passing phase.

Maybe it was because of past experiences, but he truly feared that the boy would outgrow the friendship they had developed over the years. If he did it would leave Yuri once again alone in a world that would erase him eventually. Flynn had made him forget about his fear of disappearing, which weighed heavy on his mind each day. Reaching up he patted the boy on his head, telling him that he was so grateful to hear those words from him. A deep blush formed on the youth's cheeks, his eyes falling to the ground for a few seconds before looking into his.

"I...I-I like you, Yuri-san..."

"I keep telling you-"

"I-I don't mean that type of 'like'! L-Let me say it a different way..." He took a deep breath before trying again, "I-I...I-I...l-love you, Yuri-san..."

Yuri could only stare at the boy, allowing his words to sink in. When it finally did he backed up, shaking his head a bit as a look of disbelief crossed his face. This was...beyond bad. Having Flynn fall for him completely went against his plan to make sure the boy had a normal life.

"No...No, no, no, you're mistaken. You can't be in love with me." He tried his best not to sound frantic, but this was slowly turning into a situation he had not been prepared to deal with.

"I'm not mistaken, I've been thinking about it for a while now. I-I really do lov-"

"Do you even understand how ridiculous you sound? You can't fall in love with a deity! There's no way such a relationship is normal-!"

"I don't care about being normal! I'm _not_ normal!"

This made him shut his mouth instantly.

The boy had just confirmed that nagging like fear that he been in the back of his mind; because no matter how much Yuri wanted him to have a normal life, it was impossible unless Flynn himself wanted it as well. The fact of the matter was that the boy could see and interact with things other humans couldn't, and it was a power that would probably stay with him for the rest of his life.

Flynn was not normal...and Yuri had never once asked if he was okay with that. But this...it wasn't okay for a number of reasons, and he had to convince Flynn to rethink things...or at least that had been the plan. As soon as he opened his mouth the boy was on him, lips pressed firmly against his right cheek as he held onto his shoulders. Yuri froze from the foreign gesture, mind so confused as to what he is supposed to do. When the boy finally pulled away he could only stare, mouth opening a few times but no sound emitted from it.

"I-I'm sorry...I-I just didn't want you to say what I feel is wrong again..."

' _Because it is wrong!'_ was what he had wanted to say, but the words quickly became stuck in his throat the moment he saw how the boy was looking at him. Throughout all of his years, he was only ever been looked at with admiration by human eyes, but this...this was so different. Intense longing was written over the boy's very being...all of which was directed at him, and that made denying him all that much harder. How long had he felt like this? Better yet, why had he never noticed?

Had he...truly been causing Flynn's so much distress? If that was the case the most obvious course of action would've been for him to remove himself from the situation, but that would cause more problems than solve them. Now that his two choices laid out in front of him, the only thing left was to choose. But before doing so he wanted to hear Flynn's resolve.

"Do you...really understand what you're asking of me? I'll end up outliving you...not to mention that all of this could be nothing but puppy love. Did you even think about that?" He had to sound stern, had to make sure that he got across that this was no easy thing to deal with.

"I..." Flynn seemed to reel back at his words, though after a few seconds he stood tall, "I have thought about it...the feelings I have for you override any kind of crush I've ever had on someone...so this can't be puppy love. I-I know you probably think I'm too young to understand love, but...I really love you, Yuri-san..."

Damn...there was no way for him to counter that successfully. So Yuri finally decided that the best thing for him to do was accept that the boy had rather strong feelings for him, though of course he still had a few reservations. With a sigh of defeat he reached up and gently cupped Flynn's cheek, a lazy smile crossing his lips as he muttered a small 'okay, okay, I get it'. The blush on the boy's face only deepened, and Yuri was rather pleased to know the meaning behind it.

"Well now that that's been settled, let's go home." It was his turn to out stretch his hand towards the boy, Flynn hesitantly taking it before they started back towards their currently residence. Of course, he would have to be a fool not to notice how the boy was shaking, palm moist from his obvious nervousness.

Yuri took full advantage of this.

Reaching over he pinched the boy's reddened cheek, asking if his mere presence had always been the cause of his skittish behavior. Yuri could help but laugh at the way Flynn stuttered as he tried to respond, though he stopped the moment the boy told him that he had been in love with him since middle school. It made him guilty for not noticing something sooner...but then again who could really blame him?

Yuri had never experienced the feeling of love before, mostly because he didn't have the time for it due to his godly duties. But now that he had been reduced to such a poor state, did that mean he could indulge a little? It wasn't like he had received any kind of divine punishment for slacking off during the last hundred years, so there didn't seem to be any harm in doing so.

"I'm, um...sorry for not noticing sooner."

"It's fine, if anything it's better that it's now rather than when I was in middle school. I was still sorting out my feelings then and I only recently came to terms with them."

That made sense; Flynn was the kind of person who thought things over thoroughly before diving right in, so if it were something that affected him so much of course he'd act in such a way. Yuri liked to think that he was the one who helped culture such a trait in the boy, mostly because of his constant urging to be more aware youkai that wanted to take advantage of him, his chest pains be damned. Luckily none had, and that too was something Yuri would take credit for.

Because he spent so much time around Flynn his smell had easily rubbed off on the boy, and any youkai that had a decent brain in their head would stay away from him. It made a small smile appear on his lips; never had he been so protective of one human before, and the boy's words once again rung through his head.

_I selfishly want Yuri-san to stay by my side forever..._

And then it all just hit him at once. Yuri couldn't help but crouch down, his free hands covering his face as he tried to calm himself down. Need was something that had been with him for as long as he had been alive; the humans needed him for various reasons and because of this he needed to perform his godly duties without complaint. Because of this 'want' was something foreign to him. He was a deity after all, and as such personal desires were not supposed to be acted upon, including the feeling of being wanted.

Yuri truly believed that there was no needed to pursue or expect any kind of 'want' from humans...until he met Flynn.

"Y-Yuri-san, what's wrong?" He hadn't meant to worry the boy who was now crouching next to him, and his panic filled voice filled him with regret.

"S-Sorry, it's just..." He tried once more to calm himself before speaking, "No one's ever wanted me before, so this is a strange feeling."

Yuri felt...light, like he could float away at any moment. His chest was uncomfortably and his cheeks burned from the red they had been dyed. What was this feeling? He was so damn confused that he barely noticed the boy rubbing the top of his head, body flinching away upon realization.

"A-Ah, sorry...you just looked really happy just now."

Yes...that's what it was...Flynn had made him feel so very happy because he wanted him. To be overcome by one emotion greatly embarrassed him, but at the moment he didn't care. Yuri felt like crying tears of joy, though because he didn't want to be completely vulnerably he decided against it. Ten minutes later he had regained a bit of his composer, but he couldn't for the life of him stop smiling as the two of them walked back to the apartment complex.

Flynn wanted him...and he would stay by the boy's side for as long as he did.


	4. Spirit Four: Festival

The best thing that comes along with summer festivals (other than the food) was the sharp increase in faith around the area, meaning Yuri gets quite a bit of power back. Of course, it's only temporary; the humans tended to believe only for the length of said festivals, and if he is lucky a few days afterwards. However, there is no use getting upset over how short his spike in power is.

After so many years of being around the boy, he has finally gotten to the point where he can take physical form...much to Flynn's horror. The boy doesn't hate him becoming solid, it's just that Flynn has to tell him to hide his ears and tail _and_ change the way he dressed. Apparently, it is considered unusual to walk around in a kimono in said era, though it was probably more so the sight of him with wolf ears that sends the boy into a panic. Nevertheless, he changes his appearance according to Flynn's wishes, donning clothing that are 'modern' whenever he decided to take physical form while keeping his animal features concealed.

Of course, this is when he decided to take it. To be quite honest the only person he wants to show himself to is Flynn, because he is the only person who would truly appreciate it. Yuri wouldn't go so far as to say that the boy is his everything, but...Flynn had accepted him, not just as a god, but as something more. It made him happy. Unfortunately, with having a form that can be seen by everyone, the boy becomes more conscious of the people around him.

It's one thing for the two of them to speak in public when Flynn was the only one who could see him; it's an entirely different matter when others could also. After his confession a year ago it seemed like the boy had somewhat returned to his clingy self, though some things still remained the same. Flynn is still easily embarrassed, especially when it comes to bathing; he flat out refuses for them to bathe together and when questioned why he always looks away while blushing deeply.

Honesty...What was the problem?

Many things still confuse Yuri about the boy, but he is at least grateful that Flynn is still around. After graduating from high school, Flynn moved out of his parent's apartment, getting himself a place much closer to the college he is attending. It seemed as if the boy had noticed his partial neglect of him during high school, because he always makes time for him no matter what was going on.

For the longest time, the two of them would pass the time in the simplest of ways; Flynn would lay his head in his lap while he read, Yuri gently stroking his hair as he did so. It was quite enjoyable, so he was quite surprised when the boy suggested that they started going out on dates. At first, Yuri was slightly offended, asking if Flynn had come to dislike their quiet time together. It was only with the boy's frantic answers did he come to understand that dates were just a normal part of a relationship.

Dates were a strange thing...mainly because they weren't all that different from what they usually did when leaving the apartment. He wasn't saying that the two of them didn't have fun, Yuri just didn't see what the big deal was. Flynn always did a bit too much to try to make him happy, and after a while he had to slap the boy behind the head to make him stop. Yuri told him sternly that he didn't need to pull that kind of crap with him because the boy just being there with him made him happy.

"Um, Yuri-san-"

" _Yuri_."

"Y-Y-Yuri..."

He isn't trying to make the boy feel uncomfortable; a short time ago he felt the whole formality thing between the two of them needed to be broken, wanting the boy to drop the honorifics while around him. Much to his chagrin Flynn was just too damn polite for his own good, but at least he _was_ polite unlike some of the brats he had seen around town. Yuri sighs as he nibbles on the mandarin oranges the boy had bought the other day, occasionally licking his fingers when they became too sticky.

The action causes Flynn to stop dead in his tracks.

"...You were saying?" He tries to get the boy's attention back on whatever he was going to talk about, the result being a deep blush growing on Flynn's cheeks as he looks away.

"A-Ah, sorry...I just wanted to ask if we could go to the night stalls together." The boy doesn't turn to look at him, the thought of teasing him coming and going in Yuri's mind as he stares at him.

"Sure, I don't mind." This finally made Flynn look at him, a bright smile on his face as he fidgets slightly.

"G-Great! I'll come pick you up after classes let out, a-and, um..." Flynn hesitates before speaking, "Could you...wear a yukata?"

"If you want me to."

His smile brightens, Yuri trying to figure out just why he was so happy with him agreeing to something so simple. But then again, Flynn takes considerable pleasure in simple things. Unfortunately, he had to break the boy out of his good mood by to tell him that he'd be late for work if he stays any longer, instantly getting up from the table in a frantic manner to get his things. Before leaving Flynn makes sure to kiss his cheek like he does every morning, the move always causing Yuri's chest to tighten.

At first he had merely intended to indulge the boy, entering in a relationship with him solely because it was something Flynn wanted; but as time went on, he felt as if he was falling for the boy all on his own. It was a strange feeling, but he has long since accepted that Flynn would be responsible for showing him many things he had never felt before. When the door to the small apartment shut, he presses his head against the cool surface of the wooden table in front of him.

To keep up living expenses Flynn had to take a part-time job at a convenience store a few blocks away, his shift lasting from 7 a.m. to noon. However, just because he has a short work schedule doesn't mean he comes straight home to spend time with him, the other half of the boy's day being spent in his college classes. During this time, Yuri usually played koi-koi or mahjong with the elderly ghosts in the park, which sometimes came to a short end because a few of his opponents had an unfortunate habit of falling asleep in the middle of the game.

When not beating spirits in old games, he liked to spend his time walking around town; though if the situation called for it he would usually spend most of his time shopping. After moving out of his parent's apartment, Yuri noticed how terrible Flynn's diet had gotten; ramen and convenience store bento should not have been his only options, but he could understand why the boy never bothered to cook.

To put it simply, Flynn cannot not cook.

Period.

The boy would probably burn water if not properly supervised.

He had on occasion made something that _looked_ edible but upon the food touching his tongue, Yuri swore he had tasted death. He isn't sure how someone could be so unskilled in cooking when their mother made such delicious meals (when she had time), and his father was at least a decent cook at best. Instead of dwelling on it and allowing the boy to consume prepackaged males each day, Yuri decides he would take up the neglected kitchen duties.

Flynn loves his cooking, the boy constantly praising him for it while scolding his own lack of talent in the process. For a god to be embarrassed because of praise is a strange thing, but the kind of praise the boy gives him is different from others. It makes him feel valued, and not like he had just done something because it was part of his duty as a god.

Getting up after about an hour, he figures it's best to not lounge around the apartment watching silly dramas on TV, even though he has become rather fond of the things that came on the electronic device. Humans made such captivating programs. It took a small flick of his wrist and he was in modern clothes, Yuri once again wondering why humans found the things called 'jeans' so fascinating. Yuri generally isn't a fan of thing that clung to his body, so of course jeans would be up there with the clothing choices he doesn't like.

Straightening his purple, long-sleeved, button up shirt, he makes his way over to the door while creating a mental note of all the things he needs to pick up. Flynn gave him whatever money he had left over after paying the utilities, Yuri usually setting it aside since he genuinely didn't desire material things. Of course, this thinking doesn't apply when he is presented with gifts from the boy, all of which he happily accepts even if he doesn't know how said gift works.

The walk to the grocery store isn't long, Yuri receiving a few greetings from the neighborhood humans and youkai as he walks. Pulling out a cart near the front of the store, Yuri wastes no time heading to the fresh vegetable section. This is the easy part; the complicated part comes later when he has to decide which type of meat he should buy, because even if Flynn says 'anything is okay' that isn't always the case. The boy isn't picky...it just seems like his taste in meat varied from day to day.

It's for this reason that he becomes so frustrated when arriving at the meat section, trying his best to figure out just what he should be buying. After about twenty minutes of debating between the mackerel and chicken since they had beef the previous night, Yuri let out an annoyed sigh as he decides to suck it up and contact Flynn. Reaching into his pocket, Yuri pulls out the damnable 'smart phone' the boy had bought him a few months ago as a present, a few curses leaving his mouth as he stares at the screen.

Yuri understands the need for humans to communicate on the go, but why in the name of Amaterasu do portable phones have to be so complicated? It makes no sense! A phone is meant for calling people, not playing games, listening to music, 'texting' and holding over whatever the Hell a 'gigabyte' of date is! It was so frustrating!

When he had first received the device he merely started at it for a good ten minutes, and somewhere along the way Yuri decided that he would figure out how it worked by himself. He honestly wished he had thrown his stupid pride aside and just asked Flynn for help...it would've saved him from humiliation. He wasn't sure how to turn it on, so he merely started pushing whatever looked like a button, rather pleased when the screen lit up to show the 'home screen'.

He was slightly taken aback to see that said 'home screen' had a picture of him and Flynn taken not so long ago, the mere image of it causing his chest to tighten. When he saw the words 'swipe to open', he wasn't sure what to make of them...so he went about swiping it against every flat surface he could find. Flynn stepped in quickly and helped him figure the thing out before he broke it.

Calming himself down a bit, he follows the instructions Flynn had given him upon realizing his anguish. Swipe to open, contacts and then the boy's number...it's simple enough for him to understand and he doesn't have to deal with all the complicate features. Placing the phone against his ear, he waits for Flynn to pick up so he could deal with his annoying situation.

"Ah, Yuri-san-"

"Yuri."

"Y-Yuri..." Flynn pauses on the other end of the line, most likely to get over his embarrassment, "Is something wrong? You don't usually call me at work."

He gives the boy the basic rundown of the situation, the 'hmm' on the other end of the line causing a bit of guilt to build up in his chest once again. He doesn't like the fact that he calls Flynn at work, and even if the youth says it was all right for him to do so he still feels awful. He's taking Flynn away from his work, and that makes him look unprofessional. The boy's voice on the other end of the line breaks him out of his personal guilt trip session, breathing a sigh of relief when he is told not worry about dinner.

"I was thinking the two of us could eat out, especially since we're going to the night stalls." That makes sense, and it saves him from having to make a frustrating decision. With a small 'goodbye' he hangs up the phone, figuring that he might as well shop to fill up the fridge.

With the burden of dinner off his shoulders, Yuri goes about looking for items on sale. He came at a rather opportune time since most of the things he wanted were on sale, Yuri taking full advantage of this while being mindful that Flynn's place wasn't all that big and couldn't hold but so much. Because he liked to compare prices, it took him about an hour before he reached the checkout lane. He pretty much goes into autopilot: pay, walk home, put everything away then turn on his dramas.

It might've seemed mundane to some, but for Yuri it is a needed break from his long days of doing nothing before meeting Flynn. Watching dramas was a better alternative to constantly thinking about his impending death. Somewhere along the line, like most days, he falls asleep in front of the TV. Damn and they were about to show who Aoi-chan was going to pick as her suitor.

Yuri doesn't wake up until he feel fingers gently running through his hair, but instead of tensing up and pulling away he relaxes into the touch. His tail gently sways against the hard floor, ears twitching a bit as the wolf god got himself comfortable. He always changes back into his normal form upon entering the apartment, seeing no point in keeping up his 'normal' look when it was only him and Flynn. Opening his eyes a bit he stares up to the meet the boy's, a small smile on Flynn's lips as he gazed down at him.

"Did I wake you?"

"Sort of, but I need to get up anyway." Sitting up, Yuri let out a long yawn as he stretches; once again reminding himself that sleeping on the wooden flooring is a terrible idea.

"Are you sure you're still not sleepy? I mean, we could skip the night stalls if you want-"

"No way. You've been busy all this week and have barely spent any time with me, so I'm not skipping out on a date because I might be tired."

Flynn blushes at the word 'date', and he genuinely couldn't help but find it so damn cute. The conversation pretty much ends there, the boy changing into his street clothes not long after. It only takes a few seconds for Yuri to will himself out of his usual kimono and into a yukata; he even goes so far as to do his hair up in a bun, a golden ornament donning a few cascading seasonal flowers placed on the right side of his head.

"Wow..." Turning his head, he saw Flynn gawking at him, the wolf god feeling a bit self-conscious because of it.

"...Do I look terrible?"

"What? No! No, not at all! I think you l-look..." The boy fidgets slightly before looking away, "You look amazing."

Now it's his turn to look away.

"Let's just go..." He knew it was a sad ploy to try to change the subject, but what else could he do when such sweet words threatened to make the blush he was trying so desperately to hide known? He only brought his attention back to the boy when he feels fingers intertwine with his own, Flynn smiling slightly as he mutters a small 'okay'.

With his ears and tail once again hidden, the two of them leave the apartment complex without another word. Upon stepping into the festival ground, Yuri feels as if he has received an instant pick-me-up. People were having fun at all the stalls, and as they do so Yuri can feel their belief radiating off of them. It makes him feel rather excited. Throwing his pride aside Yuri began going from stall to stall, gazing at all the many trinkets and food they had on sale like a child on their first outing.

"What's so funny?" He turns his head to look at the giggling boy behind him.

"You. Seeing you get all excited is cute."

"I-I see..."

Yuri couldn't help but hide his face, not caring who sees him burying his face in the sleeve of his yukata. The blush on his face only deepens when he feels the boy gently stroke his hair, saying that there isn't any reason for him to hide.

"How can you...say such embarrassing things in public...? I mean, you've done it before, but..." Peeking out from behind his sleeve, he glances over at Flynn whose face is just as bright as his.

"Well..." The boy scratches the back of his head as he spoke, "I just don't feel the need to hide how I feel about you."

"...Damn brat..."

Reaching over he pinches Flynn's nose, reprimanding him for being so damn open while not considering that maybe passerby's didn't want to see their public displays of affection. He continues on, adding that 'back in his day and age' people didn't go around saying such silly things while in public, hell, people didn't so much as hold hands in public back then! All the while, he notices how amused Flynn is with his words, probably because he can see through his ploy.

"And another thing, your generation is in great need of some manners-"

"Okay, I get it," Yuri watches as the boy removes his hand from his nose and intertwines their fingers, "I'm still new to all of this too."

He really hates how on the mark the boy was sometimes. Ever if it has been a year, Yuri isn't sure how to fully handle the fact Flynn loves him, that the affection the boy is showing him is not godly devotion but something else. It's a strange thing to deal with, but he takes each day one step at a time and tries to figure this whole 'relationship' thing out.

With their fingers still together they continue on, going from stall to stall to see if anything catches their interest. When Flynn suddenly stops, he becomes curious, eyes following the boy's line of sight only to stop at what looks like hair accessories. His curiosity flairs once again since he was sure Flynn had no need for such things.

"This one please." Flynn addresses the stall owner as he points to a long, black hairpin. At the end of it were several white lilies, the three strings of beads falling from them slowly changing from pure white to deep purple.

He continues to watch as the boy fishes out his wallet, presenting the owner with the correct amount of money before picking up his purchase. Before Yuri could question him, the hairpin is placed in his hair near his bun, the beads clicking together whenever the boy moves his hands.

"...You didn't have to buy me anything."

"I know, but I wanted to."

Yuri knows better than to question the boy's decision when it came to him 'wanting to' do something. Touching the ornament in his hair, he couldn't help but feel his chest tighten much like all the other times Flynn has given him something. He couldn't very well compare it to the offering he had received throughout his life, no, this was a true gift from someone who cares about him.

"Come on, I wanna buy you a fan-"

"Yo, Blondie-kun."

Yuri isn't familiar with the voice, but apparently Flynn was from the way he tenses up and slowly turns around. The person makes Yuri unintentionally sneer, because he has the appearance of the kind of human he dislikes. His hair had been styled in an unusual way, shirt half open and exposing his chest, pants far too tight and one arm slung around a skimpily dressed girl. There were a few other people with him dressed in equally offensive clothing, but Yuri can ignore that to focus on something far more important.

All of them were looking at Flynn with annoyance, something he does not like in the slightest.

"You ditched us for karaoke so you could take your girl to some lame festival? Not cool." The tacky individual snorts at Flynn, the action causing Yuri to bite his lip in order to control himself. If he was a more vengeful god he would've punished the annoyance for speaking to the boy so disrespectfully.

"Sorry...But tonight was kind of special-"

"This dumb festival goes on for, like, the rest of the month, you could've gone another day." The girl in skimpy clothing spoke- no, _outright interrupts Flynn_ with her sharp comment, further fueling his urge to do something to them.

"I know...I just-"

"Don't ditch us next time for something so stupid, 'kay?"

Yuri is rather annoyed that they don't let the boy finish speaking, but was at least pleased to watch them leave. A tense silence fills the air as the two of them go back to their previous task, Yuri gently taking Flynn's hand as the two of them went about their business.

"...Your friends are...charming." Even if the chuckle the boy gives his comment was dry, the small smile on his face is genuine.

"They're not me friends, they're just classmates I hang out with sometimes. They originally talked to me because I was naturally blond; they thought it was 'cool' and invite me out whenever." Flynn plays with his bangs as he speaks, Yuri fully aware that the boy does so whenever he brings up something related to his hair.

Flynn had always been self-conscious when it came to his looks, because like it or not people judged by appearances. The boy sticks out like a sore thumb, but never once did he try to change himself. He had talked about dyeing his hair at least once, but the idea never went any further than that because Yuri didn't want it to. The god didn't do it because he believed it was necessarily right, but because he couldn't imagine the boy as anything but blond.

"But all they ever do is go to karaoke, hang out at family restaurants and attend mixers-"

"Mixers? What are those?" Flynn gives him a bewildered look before his turns completely red, Yuri's suspicion about just what these 'mixers' were growing.

"W-Well...mixers are when guys and girls get together and talk about stuff." There had to be more to it than just that...

"What's the point...?"

"To, u-um...get a date-"

" _ **Date**_?" He doesn't mean to shout, but the fact the boy attended things that were meant for people looking for a date shocks him. Bawling his fists up, he doesn't feel anything but anger, so much so he feels his control over his appearance slip a bit.

"A-Ah, Yuri stop! Don't get angry!" He watches as the boy quickly reaches for his wolf ears, covering them in so that the people around them couldn't see, "They just drag me there, I don't pick up girls! Why would I when I-I...I-I have you...?"

Those words make all of the fury inside of him of him die, leaving him unable to form any words except the usual:

"...Damn brat..."

Putting his ears away, he removes the boy's hands from his head, Flynn smiling a bit as he did so. It was sad to think that it only took a few words for the boy to calm him down, but Flynn has always had that effect on him. Moreover, it was better for him to cool his head than to get angry and do something unreasonable. With their fingers linked once again they return to stall hopping, Flynn making sure he buys the fan he had talk about earlier.

It was sometime later that they stopped at a food stall, and he completely blames the words 'order as much as you want' from Flynn for his excessive eating. After wallowing in self-pity for a few minutes, the two of them began searching the streets for a place to watch the fireworks display that is to come. It took some time since Flynn wanted a spot that was relatively unpopulated, Yuri constantly questioning why the two of them couldn't just stay with the crowed.

Now that he thinks about it...Flynn had been a bit on edge all night.

The boy seemed slightly fidgety, as if he was itching to say something but Flynn keeps whatever it is at bay. However, Yuri keeps his mouth shut. He knows that when Flynn becomes like this it was better to wait it out, because asking would only cause his condition to worsen. When they finally stop the boy gets his wish; looking around there doesn't appear to be a soul around, though there is a perfect view of the sky which is the only thing Yuri cares about.

Slipping his sandals off he wishes Flynn would allow him to float around a little, but he holds back because it would cause the boy trouble otherwise. Lifting the bottom of his yukata up a little he begins to air out his legs a little, hating how warm even the night air was. Peeking over he sees Flynn staring at him, or more specifically his legs. It isn't all that surprising that he had caught the boy staring; Yuri usually did whenever he revealed a little skin, be it his legs, the back of his neck or chest.

"...Why are you so distracted by this?" He lifts his yukata a little higher, watching as the boy blushes hard before quickly looking away.

"I-I...u-um..." He's fidgeting again, so Yuri decides to place his yukata down to help the situation a little, "W-Well...we're dating, s-so it's only natural. A-And..."

The boy takes a sharp inhale of air before quickly letting it out, Yuri watching as the boy does this a few more times before finally looking at him.

"I...I want to ask you two things...is that okay?" He isn't really sure why Flynn's voice sounds so tense, but he nods regardless.

"You don't have to be so nervous, just ask."

The boy smiles a little at this but keeps silent, Yuri waiting patiently for him to say whatever he had wanted to. All the while he distracts himself by watching the fireworks display that has just started, silently thanking the humans for holding onto such an old custom. His attention is only brought back to Flynn when he feels his hand be taken into a gently grasp, Yuri not at all surprised by how red the boy's face is.

"...Can I kiss you, Yuri...?"

"You kiss me all the time-"

"On the lips..."

Yuri couldn't say a thing. It was true that over the past year, the boy had never once kissed him on the lips, and he really hadn't thought much of it. For some reason he can't bring himself to open his mouth and say 'okay' right away, his chest tightening in an uncomfortable way the more he thinks about it. Through research and personal observations (television dramas), Yuri had found that a kiss on the lips is a big deal. It was clear that it had taken Flynn quite a bit of courage to ask him, and that's where the problem stems from.

He has _zero_ experience when it comes to kissing and fears he would mess up the boy's first time. However, he couldn't very well tell him no. Yuri couldn't bring himself to do so, terrible first kiss or not. As he lightly grips the boy's hand, he tells him to go ahead; it was only then did he take notice of the boy's shaking, feeling terrible that he is the reason for it. The boy's free hand cups his right cheek, thumb gently stroking his skin as he moves in close.

Closing his eyes, much like he had seen on various dramas, Yuri waits, even if he just wants it to happen already. But when it does he really isn't ready for it. The only way he is able to describe being kissed is much like being electrocute, which he knows about from personal experiences (a nue was not the nicest youkai to deal with). A jolt is sent throughout his entire body, particularly up his back, but it doesn't hurt in the slightest. He feels the boy let go of his hand, feels his arm gently snake itself around his waist and pull him closer.

Yuri doesn't mind at all.

Though Yuri isn't sure what to do with his own hands, two limbs feeling horribly unnatural just dangling by his sides. So he reaches up, gently touching the boy's arms before having them come to rest on his shoulders. This feels right. When Flynn adds a little more pressure, he begins to feel dizzy, so much so that his grip on the boy tightens a bit. He doesn't care how much time passes, just that he feels amazing and wishes the feeling doesn't end. It's for this reason that he almost makes a small noise when he feel Flynn begin to move back, the wolf god looking away before their eyes could even meet.

"...How was it?" He barely hears the boy address him, mind still in a fog as he tries to regain his composure.

"...It was strange...but not unpleasant." Yuri couldn't help but lick his lips as he spoke, finding the boy to taste oddly sweet.

"That's great! A-Ah I mean..." Flynn straightens himself out before speaking, "T-That's good...a-and, um, a-about the second thing..."

Oh right...Flynn wanted to ask him something else.

"T-This is a little harder to ask for than just a kiss..."

"Whatever it is, I'm fine with-"

"S-Sex..."

His mouth lay open for a few seconds before he decides to close it, gaze moving back to the boy where his eyes finally meet his. Flynn's eyes are determined despite the fact that his face is bright red and he looks as if he biting his lip, but Yuri doesn't care about that. What...did he just say? He is sure he had heard the boy correctly, but just to make sure...

"...Pardon?" He needs to hear it again, because he was about to plunge himself into a deep pit of denial if not.

"C-Can we...have sex...? N-Not right here of course! We could go back home, o-or get a room at a love hotel if you wanted...I mean I completely understand if you don't want to have sex though! B-But..." Flynn came in a little closer to speak, acting as if he doesn't want anyone but the two of them to hear, "L-Lately...it's been hard for me to not think of you in a sexual way. S-So instead of just springing it on you, I f-figured I'd just ask you outright..."

Well...it was nice to find out that he hadn't misheard the other, but this brought about a whole new issue. Yuri knows what sex is, had known a few gods that dabbled in lust and had passed through the red light district more than once. However, never in all his years on the Earth has he ever been asked to perform the act. Much like the kiss, he fears that he'd mess up the boy's first time...not to mention that the mere thought of him doing something like that scared the living daylights out of him.

But it's Flynn...and he is sure that he'd treat him gently. So Yuri hesitantly reaches over, wrapping his arm around the boy's neck to pull him close. He isn't sure if he's kissing the boy correctly, but he still continues, tensing slightly at the surprised sound Flynn makes when their lips connect. Yuri doesn't linger as long as the boy had previously, parting just enough so he could speak.

"...You better take good care of me, ya damn brat..."


	5. Spirit Five: Promises

Traveling atop of trains is a convenient and fast way of travel for Yuri, but this time around he's less enthusiastic since he has company. Or to put it more correctly, he is being followed by a tengu he could really do without. Unwanted company is nothing new for him; when it wasn't Raven himself, the damn bird sends along one of his many crows to go with him. However, this time around he feels the need to allow Raven to tag along, because today is special...

Flynn is waiting for him...

The boy- no...it hasn't been right nor fair to continue calling him a boy over the years, since it greatly discredited his growth. The _man_ had moved away from Tokyo after graduating from college, confessing that he could never see himself becoming a stuffy, suit wearing businessman. He really just wanted to get away from the city, and what better place to go than the countryside where his grandmother had grown up? After she had died, the woman had left the property to her family, and because he wasn't sure if his parents were going to keep the house Flynn took it upon himself to move in.

Since it had been some time since the woman's death, the house was dusty and in great need of repair. It brought him great amusement to watch the then boy clean every inch of the house, and even more amusement when he decided to remove the weeds from the backyard. Yuri made no attempt to help him and made sure Estelle knew not to as well. He wasn't trying to be mean; he just felt that if anyone stepped in to help Flynn when he hadn't asked for it, the poor lad's pride would've been hurt.

However, he did help take care of Flynn's various cuts and scrapes he had received from dealing with the backyard, and instead of making fun of him Yuri merely congratulated him on his hard work. Much like back in the city Flynn's main form of transportation was his bike, the then boy using it to move between the more populated areas and the small village. It was there that he found work as a delivery boy, and from there the two of them began to fall into a familiar rhythm.

At least for three month...

After long he was once again reminded of his duties in the city; one of Raven's crows had given him a status report of everything going on while he was away, and it wasn't anything good. The youkai in the city were taking advantage of his absence, causing all kinds of misfortune to any human that unknowingly crossed their paths. Parting ways with Flynn was hard...even if he knew that visiting him was possible, it would've be the same as actually living with him.

Yuri truly hated the sad smile Flynn had given him the night he returned to the city...and he was sure the image would be burned into his memories for as long as he lived.

Even if the guilt he felt lessened over time, it never truly left, the feeling always reappearing whenever he visited Flynn. He always made it a habit to visit on Sundays, holidays and the man's birthday. It wasn't enough...he wanted to spend even more time with Flynn, wanted to say 'to Hell with it' and give up what godhood he had left. But he didn't...because he _knew_ Flynn didn't want that for him. So he tried his best to deal with it over the years, balancing both his duty and love life so that he didn't have to choose between either.

Today is Flynn's birthday, but this time around it would be very different from the rest. Lying back on the cold, hard roof of the train, Yuri finds his chest begin to ache; it's an all too familiar feeling, one that always appears whenever Osaka is near. The pain is a sad reminder of the things he wanted but could not pursue.

"Come on Yuri-sama! It'll be all-"

"Don't speak to me..."

Yuri hadn't meant to sound so harsh, even if the comment was directed at Raven, but he has a lot on his mind at the moment.

"I'm sorry...I just..." Running his fingers through his hair, he can help but become frustrated with his lack of words. 'He just' what? Loves Flynn so damn much that the distance between them hurts him damn near every day? He couldn't say that!

With a huff, he turns over, hating how lovesick he had become in front of the annoying crow. Love-sickness was a Hell of a thing; Yuri wouldn't go so far as to say that it has completely broken him emotionally, but he can freely admit that it has turned him into a mess. Maybe that's why he never bothered with relationships in the past...because he subconsciously knew he could never fully handle something like it.

That isn't to say that he hates being in love; no, it was more the fact that he had been reduced to a blushing school girl whenever he thought about Flynn. He is a _god_ , and yet a single human had made him lovesick...the mere notion of it makes a smirk appear on his lips. Why? Because it proved that humans were not as helpless as they seemed, and once the day came for the world of gods and youkai to end...they would be just fine.

That was _if_ the humans ever decided they weren't needed anymore, and Yuri had a feeling that time wouldn't happen soon. His mind is placed at ease when the train comes to a full stop at the station, Yuri's eyes scanning the crowed until they finally land on a familiar fox in a white kimono. The small girl always took Flynn's place when he couldn't make it due to various circumstances, and even if Yuri didn't mind at all it still didn't dull the disappointment he felt.

"Sorry if we're late," He hops down from the train as he speaks, feet gently landing on the ground as he points to Raven, "This one wanted food so we missed the first train."

"But I was hungry!"

"Then I should've left you there to stuff your face."

While they bickered he notices Estelle laughing at their antics, and who could really blame her for doing so? The two of them looked foolish. Because the whole thing was leading in a very pointless direction, Yuri decides to ignore Raven in favor of making his way towards the small village. Since it wasn't far from the station, he figured it was all right for the three of them to walk...even if he was sure the damnable bird would complain the entire way.

"How are the crops this season?" Yuri needed to hear the sound of something other than Raven's constant squawking, and Estelle's voice was much more appealing.

"Great! After last year's terrible harvest, everyone made sure to work overtime so Inari-sama wouldn't get upset." Even if she sounded cheerful, Yuri is fully aware of the sadness behind her worlds. As years went on the number of her siblings kept dropping, and last year was the absolute worst for her.

Out of the 25 siblings Yuri had known personally, only _seven_ were left...

Given that Estelle had been around for some time, there was no telling how many siblings she had actually lost. Estelle tried to hide her hurt, but the poor girl had always had a terrible poker face. However, through the hurt she always seemed to push forward and continue with her duty of making sure the small village flourished. It was admirable, but he had to wonder if this was some kind of sick game Inari liked to play...

"That's good, though I'm still surprised such a tiny village could still be around for so long." It's true, especially in this day and age when modernization seems to devour everything that is considered 'old'. The entire walk is spent with the two of them conversing about agriculture and the economy, but Yuri can't help but be distracted.

Flynn is waiting for him...he has to keep repeating this in his head in order to calm himself down. He is a god; he had much better control than this...he needs to keep himself together. While so absorbed in his own actions, Yuri doesn't fully notice the distance between the two of them and Raven. He figures it's because the topic at hand doesn't interest the crow in the slightest, but it isn't until they make it to the village entrance that Yuri _knows_ something is wrong.

"...Are you coming...?" Gazing over his shoulder, he finds Raven a good ten feet away from them and it really seems like he has no intention of moving.

"A-Ah, well..." Raven scratches the back of his head as he laughs nervously, "You two go on ahead, I'll catch up later."

Instead of questioning the crow, Yuri merely nods, because in the back of his mind he understood Raven's actions. The tengu didn't wish to deal with what was to come...As he and Estelle make their way through the small village, he feels the unfortunate heaviness in the air; feels that something about the whole situation needs to be said but neither of them seem willing to be the one to bring it up. It's wrong, because Yuri is a direct kind of god, but this time...this time he can't say what he's supposed to.

So instead, he says the only thing on his mind...

"Estelle..." He comes to a complete stop as he speaks, "...Thank you very much..."

"Huh? I'm not sure I understand- w-what are you doing, Yuri-sama?"

Yuri had turned around to face the girl, her obvious surprise due to the very deep bow he was giving her.

"Thank you very much for being such a good friend to Flynn...and to me. Also..." Reaching up he pinches Estelle's nose between his index and middle finger, "I keep telling you to drop the '-sama'."

She struggles a little before backing off, her fingers coming up to rub her abused nose. Yuri can't help but laugh at the pout she gives him, though he quickly closes his mouth the moment her confused face turns to that of realization. She opens her mouth a few times, but no words slip through her lips. Yuri feels this is the best time to leave.

"Yuri..."

He doesn't turn around...because the hitch in the girl's voice tells him that she is on the verge of tears. He hates that he's made her do so, but...he won't take back his words. His feet feel heavy as he walk, gut churning uncomfortably the closer he gets to his destination. Yuri doesn't bother with the front door upon arrival, his feet automatically taking him to the back of the large house instead. He knows where Flynn will be. Once in the back he takes a seat on the veranda, fingers quickly slipping off his sandals so he could proceed into the building.

He doesn't have far to go.

Sliding the door open he finds who he's looking for; there lying on a futon is Flynn, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He had a thin blanket over himself because of the summer heat, and as Yuri walks over to his sleeping body, he takes note of the still full glass of water next to an unopened pill bottle. He shakes his head but says nothing; instead, he merely lowers himself to the ground, sitting on his knees as he gets himself comfortable.

Leaning over he hesitantly brushes his hands over dull, blond locks, fingers slowly coming down to run along the man's wrinkled face. When he stirs, Yuri pulls his hand back and waits, and when blue eyes meet his he can't help but smile.

"Happy birthday, old man, you made it to a hundred."

"And what an interesting hundred it has been."

The both of them share a small chuckle at this, because he knows there's no denying his words. Before saying anything else he scolds Flynn for neglecting the pills Estelle had left out for him, the old man scrunching his nose up as he tells him that they taste 'terrible'. If there was one thing that had never changed over the years, it was Flynn's stubborn attitude. Yuri just shakes his head and places the objects of their discussion to the side, eyes lingering on the pills for a few seconds before coming back to meet Flynn.

"Help an old man up, would you?" Without hesitation he takes the hand Flynn offers him, slinging the old man's arm over his shoulder as he slowly made his way up. He helped the him out of his room and onto the veranda, placing him down on a wooden chair a few steps away from the door.

"Ah, this old body of mine is such a hassle, how in the world do you deal with it, Yuri?" He can hear the joking tone in Flynn's voice, though it doesn't stop him from rolling his eyes.

"It helps that I don't age like you humans do. Buy I must say that Amaterasu-sama was _so_ cruel to curse me with the looks of a twenty year old human."

"Now you're just bragging." They both laugh while Yuri kneels on the zabuton next to the chair, the cushion a bit beaten up due to its overuse.

This is their spot, where godly and humanly duties are put aside so the two of them can just be. From where they sit, they can see the entire village, Yuri always marveling at how little the it had changed. A few new roads have been paved and houses had been repaired, but the scenery was still the same. The forest had been untouched, much to Estelle and her sibling's relief, and from where they sat the two of them can see the many trees sway in the wind.

His wolf ears twitched as the cool breeze whipped past them, giving them a much needed break from the summer air. Much like with Estelle there was so much he needed to say, but when he's sitting next to Flynn like this, like they had so many times in the past, words fail him. And that's completely okay. When they are in their space, it's all right for important things to be put to the side. The two of them talk for a good while about random things, though it isn't until Flynn goes silent that Yuri knows something is coming.

"Ah, I know it's my birthday, but..." The old man pauses a bit before continuing, "I'd like to give you a present..."

Yuri's curiosity perks at this, though it wasn't that strange for Flynn to give him thing when they were supposed to be celebrating _his_ day. He listens as the old man tells him that their relationship has meant the world to him, about how he had never once regretted meeting him. Yuri really isn't sure where the conversation is going...but he doesn't like it. In fact, he wants to stop Flynn from speaking, wants to tell him that his words weren't needed, but all he can do is keep his ass on the cushion below him and be silent.

"So...I wish to give you my next life, Yuri..."

He doesn't say anything, because Flynn's words just make the situation all more real...they remind him of why he's _really_ there. Control...he needs to control himself. But dammit, this is Flynn, so he can't, he can't, _Amaterasu dammit,_ _he can't_. Yuri can't help but be angry with himself, angry because Flynn has already accepted things for what they were, and here he was...so ready to deny everything. Yuri finds himself biting his bottom lip, because he doesn't want Flynn to see him so shaken.

When he feels a hand atop his head, he can't help tensing up, but when it gently strokes his hair he lets it all go.

"I'm so sorry, Flynn..."

"For what?"

"For not being able to do anything about this...I'm a god, I should be able to-"

He's slightly startled by the sound of Flynn suddenly laughing.

"Yuri, you've done more than enough for me, so much so that I couldn't possibly ask anymore of you. We'll see each other again, I promise."

If there was one thing Flynn was rather good at, it was keeping his promises. So the only thing Yuri can do is smile, because he didn't want the old man last image of him to be his depressed face. Getting up from his spot on the floor, he stands in front of Flynn, hands pressed firmly together as he bowed his head. The least he could do was offer him a prayer for his journey. Upon looking up his eyes he finds the old man smiling at him, his hand coming up to take one of his.

"Thank you...Yuri..." His smile never faltered, even as his eyes began to shut. The grip of his hand slowly began to loosen, but Yuri never lets go.

Reaching over with his free hand he gently strokes Flynn's cheek, not at all aware of his tears until he sees them fall to the ground. He isn't afraid when he notices his hand start to become transparent, wasn't afraid of knowing that this was the end of the line for him. Flynn is- _was_ the last person to believe in him, and as such his existence was no longer valid. Yuri wasn't sure what would be awaiting him once he fully disappeared, but he was sure he'd see Flynn again.

No matter how long it took, he would.

"You better keep your promise, ya damn brat..."

* * *

_-Many Years Later-_

The Osaka heat was annoying as usual, so he really saw no point in running around with the other kids. His mother had said 'go outside', but she never actually specifically said that he actually had to do anything. So here he is, sitting in the shade of a large tree as he watches his pseudo-friends. No, he couldn't very well consider people who thought of him as strange as friends. The only friends he needed were the ones other people couldn't see.

For example, the small wolf spirit that had attached itself to him, its blue-black fur so very soft he couldn't help but pet it whenever he had the chance. It had always been around; he couldn't remember a day without it being near him, and he was rather grateful for it. He is taken out of his thoughts when a few leaves fall in front of him, though he doesn't take any action until he sees something rather large fall to the ground. He immediately hides behind the tree, his wolf spirit growling a bit at whatever had fallen.

"O-Ow..." Peeking over the side of the tree truck, he tries to figure out what exactly, or rather, _who_ exactly had drop out of the tree. At first glance, it looks to be a person, but the strange feeling they were giving off said otherwise.

They are dressed as a Shinto priest, though he only knows this from his few visit to the local shrine. Their white kariginu had been dirtied by the fall, a few leaves clinging to it as well. The dark blue of their hakama shared the same fate, and upon further inspection he notices a khakkhara beside them. The staff looked to be made of gold, the rings around the much larger one clinging together when its owner grabbed it.

The most distinct thing about them is his hair, because he had never seen a _blond_ priest before. Said priest really looked like a foreigner, though of course he couldn't really base it on looks along since he had seen spirits with stranger hair colors. He doesn't move from his spot, carefully observing the strange youkai or whatever he is with wary eyes. Not all spirits he could see were good, a lesson he had learned the hard way by almost being eaten by a few. But even if he told himself _'this guy is a weirdo...'_ it doesn't stop him from peeking his head out from his hiding spot, though only a little.

"Thank Amaterasu no one saw me-"

"Oi, you..." The stranger tenses but doesn't turn his way, so he figures being a bit more specific would help, "Blond priest..."

The stranger tenses even more as his body slowly begins to turn around, a look of surprise crossing his face as their eyes meet. Geez, even his eyes are blue...The two of them stare at one another for a few more seconds before the blond stranger rushes over to him, his most obvious reaction being to back away from the weirdo.

"You can...see me?"

"Yes..." He took another step back when the spirit crouches in front of him, a look of pure delight practically beaming off his face.

"Really? That's...great!" The smile on the priest's face only brightens, and he figures the spirits excitement if from his lack of human interaction. He had learned rather quickly in his ten years of life that it wasn't normal to see the things he did, and to point it out only lead to him being ridiculed.

"So, your name is Yuri?" He snaps out of his thoughts when he sees the strange priest petting his wolf, something he finds odd because it was always very cautious of spirits it didn't know. If anything, he's surprised that the priest can even understand his constant companion, especially since he himself couldn't.

"Yes...What's your name?"

"Er, well..." The stranger nervously scratches the back of his head, "I can't give a human my real name...Oh, why don't you give me a name? I wouldn't mind."

It's an odd thing to ask, though he figures that giving him a name is much better than calling him 'blond priest'. So Yuri thinks it over; he thinks of random names before moving on to things related to the stranger, like color or the fact that he had fallen out of a tree. However, no matter what name he thought of, one in particular kept popping into his head. He finds it odd because he has never heard of it before, especially since it was clearly a foreign name.

Though he thinks giving the foreign looking priest a foreign sounding name would be just fine.

"I'll call you...Flynn."

"Flynn?"

"It might sound strange, but I feel like it's the only name I can give you."

The newly named Flynn merely nods at his comment, a small smile on his face as he reached out and pats him on his head. Yuri doesn't back away from his touch this time, finding it oddly warm and inviting.

"I've been the god of this city for 200 years, but you're the first human I've ever spoken to. It's...quite a nice feeling." And it's for this reason that Yuri feels he can connect better with youkai and gods better than humans; they understand what loneliness is.

He was sure this was a pretty screwed up way to live, being unwilling to interact with other kids, but he hadn't really experienced anything pleasant to make him think otherwise.

"What were you doing up there...?" He points to the upper part of the tree and Flynn laughs nervously as he looks away.

"W-Well, I was reading over a few prayers from the shine and then a random crow started harassing me." That sounded so lame, but he's sure the true embarrassment came from the fact that he had fallen from a tree because of it.

"Since you're down here, you might as well stay." Yuri plops back down on the grass as he speaks, a part of him deeply wishing for the other to stay.

"I do need to get back to the shrine," The priest's eyes linger on him for a moment before speaking, "But, it's not terribly important for me to be there right at this moment."

That's a relief, but Yuri makes no motion to let Flynn know this. He wants someone to talk to, so they talk. He feels oddly comfortable opening up to the priest, telling him about how his parents weren't home all that much, that the kids at school thought he was strange and how he just didn't feel like he belonged anywhere. It was a lot for a mere ten-year-old to feel, he knows, but when you weren't like everything else thing became a bit complicated.

Flynn gave him suggestions every now and then; like that he should at least try playing with the other kids, because it was not only the 'right thing to do' but because 'human bonds were an important thing'. Yuri snorted at this. Humans could keep their bonds, and as he said this the priest gave him a blank look before speaking again. It was then that Flynn brought up a very important fact: _he was human too_. Biting his lower lip he tries to think of a comeback, but nothing comes to mind.

"I'll tell you what; I'll stay right here and if you don't like playing with them, just come back."

"...Do you mean that?"

Flynn nods as he smiles, though Yuri still feels a bit apprehensive about getting up and going over. He didn't want to be called weird again, or for that matter to be looked at as if he is an alien creature. But...Flynn had said he'd stay and wait, so at least he had something to come back to. He picks himself up from the ground begins to walk over, but not before giving a glance over his shoulder to make sure the priest was keeping his promise. Flynn just smiled at him again, and this time he feels it's all right to do the same.

However, just because he feels a little better did not mean he was comfortable speaking with the other kids. His nerves kick in when he begins speaking to them, voice low as he asks if he can play with them. It's hard to watch them stare at him, so he brings his gaze downward; waiting for what he was sure would be rejection-

"Um...okay."

He snaps his head up so quickly that he really hurts his neck, though he completely ignores it in favor of giving the group of kids a look of shock. He stands there for a few seconds just staring, and he doesn't snap out of it until he is handed a soccer ball. Yuri didn't really care much for the game, but when given this opportunity, who was he to turn it down? Before going off with the other kids he looks over his shoulder one more time, rather pleased to see the priest still sitting under the tree, hand gently stroking the wolf pup that rests on his lap.

Flynn makes a hand gesture for him to continue on his interactions, and he only hesitates for the moment before doing just that. Yuri spends a good deal of time playing with the other kids, though of course it wasn't without a few incidents. He was hit with the ball at least twice, and when the third time happens he accuses the kid of doing it on purpose. They get into a fight after yelling at one another for a good five minutes, Yuri retreating over to Flynn where he refuses to move no matter what the priest said.

It's only after he has cooled off does Yuri finally go back over and apologize, the boy in question admitting to his unfair behavior. He stays with the group until the sun had set, Yuri being the last to leave since there wasn't really anyone waiting for him at home.

"Did you have fun?" He watches as Flynn gets up from his spot on the ground, dusting off his clothes before giving him a small smile.

"Yeah...I did," Yuri can't help but return the gesture, though it falters a bit when he remembers that he has to go home.

"Well, I should probably take my leave-"

"Wait." He knew he was too quick to grab the priest's sleeve, but he doesn't care. However, it doesn't stop him from blushing slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"Um...can you walk me home? And..." He fidgets a bit as he uses his free hand to tug at the bottom of his shirt, "Let me hold your hand..."

Flynn smiles at him again, the priest crouching down as he extends his hand to him. Yuri stares at the other's hand, finding the whole thing to be strangely familiar. Hesitantly he takes Flynn's hand, the warmth from it causing him to relax a bit. They don't say much during their walk, the only sound being that of Flynn's sandals hitting the ground and the light 'pitter-patter' of his wolf pup's paws next to him. Yuri doesn't mind this at all. He likes having Flynn around; likes that he feels warm and that he smiles at him all the time.

When the reach his apartment complex, his stomach churns a bit, because he had said for the priest to take him home _not_ to stay with him. He doesn't move for a while, debating if he should actually tell Flynn to stay. Would he be asking too much if he did so? Flynn had said that he needed to get back to the shrine, so to keep him any longer just seemed wrong. But...he really doesn't want to be alone. Squeezing the priest's hand a bit to get his attention, he figures it's probably better to just ask then constantly worry.

"Um, Flynn-san...could you stay until my parents come home? I mean...if you have somewhere to be, I understand." He fidgets again; hand squeezing Flynn's a bit tighter. Yuri isn't really sure what he'd do if the priest decides to leave, but he's sure it would involve feeling empty as he waited for his parents to come back.

He wonders if Flynn's constant couching is so he doesn't have to strain his neck to look down, or because Flynn just wants to look him in the eye. The priest strokes his hair slowly, and deep down Yuri knows what the other is probably going to say.

"I'll stay by your side as long as you want me to."

"...What if I say 'stay forever'?"

"Then I won't go anywhere." He watches as Flynn hooks their pinkies together, "It's a promise."

Yuri nearly topples the priest, arms wrapping tightly around his neck as he hugged him. He had never been so happy before, and it was like...he had been waiting for this moment his entire life.


End file.
